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How to Do Home Work Right 



BY 



THE EDUCATIONAL STAFF 

OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHILD LIFE 




TALKS TO YOUNG PEOPLE. No. 2 



AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF CHILD UFE 
1714 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia 



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Copyright, 1915 
American Institute of Child Lif 



MAY 14 !8I5 



INTRODUCTION 

Tliereis to-day a strong movement back to the old-time 
faith that the home is the best laboratory and workshop 
for a boy or girl. The system of giving school credits 
for home-helping is becoming very popular. The only 
objection to it seems to be that many parents want to be 
sure that they are able to show their children just how to 
do work right. Many young people to-day, too, are re- 
alizing that much of the work there is to do at home is 
very interesting, and that all of it is important to those 
who expect to spend most of their lives keeping and 
maintaining their own households. They, too, wish to 
know how to do work right. 

These descriptions are drawn from authoritative 
sources, mostly by special permission. Some of these 
sources are governmental, some personal, but all were 
written by persons who had young people in mind, and 
who are experienced in directing them. 

A companion booklet to this, entitled, "Money-Mak- 
ing and Thrift for Boys and Girls/' gives suggestions 
about manufacturing things to sell, taking orders and 
contracts, selling periodicals, etc., and accounting for and 
saving money. 



CONTENTS 

I. Work on the Garden or Farm 7 

How to Make a Garden 7 

Caring for Tools 12 

Keeping up the Place 12 

II. Work in the Barn or Garage 17 

How to Run an Automobile 17 

The Care of a Horse 20 

Poultry-Keeping 27 

How to Use Some Common Tools 31 

How to House the Dog 32 

III. Work in the House 35 

How to Start the Day 35 

Housework 38 

Sewing 52 

Painting and Glazing 58 

How to Take Care of a Baby 61 

IV. Work in the Office, Store or Manufactory. ... 71 
V. Work in the Study 79 

VI. Work at Camp 81 



HOW TO DO 
HOME WORK RIGHT 

I 

WORK ON THE GARDEN 
OR FARM 

HOW TO MAKE A GARDEN 

Planning the Garden. — Before the actual gardening is 
begun, a well-drawn plan should be made by each boy 
and girl. Draw your plan to a scale — that is, let J inch 
en the paper represent i foot in the garden. Using this 
scale on a garden 25 by 50 feet, we shall have a drawing 
that will be 6^^ by 12^ inches. ( , '^ 

With this same unit of measure represent the rows as 
they should be made, always remembering that for each 
foot in the garden you will use one-fourth of an inch on 
the paper. Consult the tables, pages 13 and 14, for the 
space between the rows of vegetables as well as for dis- 
tances apart of the plants in the rows. 

In planning a garden it is very important that vegeta- 
bles of a tall habit of growth should be so placed that 
they will not shade the vegetables having a low habit of 
growth. This will give all the plants some sunlight. 

Seeds. — After the plan is drawn on paper the young 
gardener must decide how much seed will be needed. 
The planting-table will help in this. It has a list, or col- 
umn, of the amount of seed required for 100 lineal feet. 
If the row in the garden is only 50 feet long, the seed re- 
quired will be one-half the amount named in the table. 
It is always best to order more seed than is actually 
required. 



When the quantity of seed is known it should be 
ordered from a reliable seed house. Consult a neighbor, 
who has a successful garden. 

Testing Seed. — Choose ten average seeds of one vari- 
ety. Provide a box eighteen inches long, twelve inches 
wide, and at least two inches deep, and fill it with good 
garden soil. Make shallow lines in the soil one inch 
apart, of a depth of about two to four times the diameter 
of the seed to be planted; place the ten seeds that you 
have chosen in the first of these shallow marks or fur- 
rows. Mark the box at the end of the row on the wood, 
so that you will know the variety of seed that is planted 
in that row. Choose ten more seeds of another variety 
and plant them in the second row. Continue in this way 
until all the varieties of seed bought have ten samples 
planted in the box. Cover the seed and the rows with 
soil and press the soil firmly with the palms of your 
hands. Sprinkle about a pint of water over the soil and 
place the box near the stove or in a sunny window where 
it will have a fair amount of heat. Water the soil dur- 
ing the next two weeks. Mark on paper the date of 
planting the seed, and each day record the number of 
plants that show above the soil. If at the end of two 
weeks nine of the ten seeds in the row have shown 
above the ground and are still healthy and green, the per- 
centage of growth will be ninety; if eight, eighty; if six, 
sixty. If the test shows less than sixty per cent, more 
seed will have to be used in the actual planting of the 
garden in order to obtain the number of plants desired. 

The above is the most valuable test of seeds, as 'it 
shows not only those seeds that will sprout well, but also 
those that under fair conditions will grow in the garden. 
Seeds that show a high percentage in this test will be 
profitable to plant. 

Location.— li father or mother will give you your 
choice of a place for your garden, choose a piece of land 

8 



that has been under cultivation for two or three years. 
If this land slopes slightly toward the south and is a 
loamy, not clayey, soil, it will answer your purpose. If 
the land is near the hen-yard it will be well to fence the 
garden or to plan to keep the hens in their yard. 

GARDEN PLAN 

Nasturtiums (border) 

Carrots 
Carrots 



Carrots 



Carrots 



Beets 



Beets 



Onions 



Onions 



Onions 



Radishes 



Radishes 



Lettuce 



Lettuce 



Lettuce 



Parsley (border) 



Distance between rows : — 

Length of rows — i6J feet. 

Nasturtiums to first row of carrots — 2y inches. 

Each row from carrots to last row of beets — 18 inches 

Each row from last row of beets to parsley — 9 inches 

Note. — This is the first planting. Follow this in rotation 
to suit locality. Seek information from your State experiment 
station and college of agriculture. 



Staking the Garden. — With pieces of wood stake out 
the garden corners on the land to be used. These stakes 
will serve to show you where to spread manure, or where 
to plow, spade, or harrow. 

Manuring. — If good, well-rotted stable manure is avail- 
able, spread a generous coating of it on the garden. It 
is doubtful whether too much can be applied. Some of 
the best gardeners use as much as three or four inches of 
well-rotted manure spread over the land. 

Ploiving or Spading. — If the ground is plowed it should 
be done after the manure is spread, and should be to a 
depth of six or eight inches. It is better, however, to 
use a spade or a spading fork. Such a tool will turn the 
soil to a greater depth than will the plow, and if em- 
ployed by a boy who will use his head as well as his 
hands in his work the manure can be placed at a very 
good depth. 

Smoothing. — Harrowing can follow the plowing, and 
fine smoothing can be done after that. If horse power 
is not used the hand rake will be the most serviceable 
tool. The rake can be used for breaking all lumps, as 
well as for leaving the soil level and smooth. 

Permanent Staking. — After raking, permanent stakes 
can be driven at the corners of the garden in place of the 
temporary stakes first used. A nail should be driven in 
the top of the southeast comer stake and exact meas- 
urements from this stake to the other stakes should be 
made, placing nails in the tops of the other stakes 
where they are found by measurement to be needed. 
The use of these nails will help greatly in future exact 
measurements for planting. 

Planting. — The time for planting as given in the plant- 
ing-table must be used with common sense and varied to 
suit the conditions of weather and other local factors of 
the great outdoors It is intended to serve merely as a 



10 



guide. The young gardener should ask advice of the 
most successful grower of vegetables in his neighbor- 
hood. 

In planting seed the rows in the garden should corre- 
spond to the rows as planned on the paper. Measure- 
ments from the nearest stakes at both ends of the rows 
should be taken. A garden Hne or some other means 
should be used for keeping the rows straight. 

The table given on page 13 will serve as a guide in 
planting the seed, but no one can be taught gardening 
from a printed page. Consult your parents, your 
teacher, your district superintendent, and any successful 
gardener. Good advice at first hand will be valuable. 

A furrow should be opened to the required depth with 
a hoe, which, as above said, should be guided by a line, 
or mark. The seed should be spread along the bottom 
oi this furrow, then dirt should be filled in over the seed 
and pressed down by walking on it. 

If there is a planting machine on the farm, such as a 
Planet Jr., Iron Age, Columbia, or the like, it may be 
used for planting. 

Transplanting. — If tomatoes or other plants are raised 
in a hotbed, cold-frame, or seed bed, they should be re- 
moved with the largest amount of root surface possible 
and placed in the garden in the straight row planned 
for them, at the proper distance apart, in the following 
manner: With a trowel dig a hole larger than the plant 
roots need; fine the earth; set the roots of the plant 
slightly deeper in this fine earth than they grew; cover 
them with dirt; press hard; fill in more dirt, pressing now 
and then, until the level of the soil is reached. The 
plant will then be transplanted in such a way that it will 
have the best opportunity to grow. 

Thinning. — If the plants come up too thickly they 
should he thinned according to directions given in the ta- 
ble under the heading ''Distance apart of plants in row." 

IX 



This is necessary in order to give the remaining plants 
the space that they require for the best growth. 

Cultivating. — There are two things necessary for good 
cultivation — keep them in mind: first, absence of weeds; 
second, the surface soil should be loose at all times. 
This can easily be done with the hand, the hoe, and the 
rake. Pull out the weeds, hoe around the plant, rake 
after hoeing. 

Watering. — If the season is exceptionally dry, water 
may be necessary for success in obtaining good growth. 
The hose, watering-can, or pails can be used. However, 
good culture from the beginning is the most important 
factor in maintaining the water supply. 

Insects and Diseases. — Insects can be controlled some- 
what by hand-picking. Diseases may be controlled by 
keeping the plants in a thrifty, continuously-growing 
condition, by giving good culture, by watering, and by 
adding manure dissolved in water much diluted. 

CARING FOR FARM TOOLS 

Tools should be thoroughly cleaned after using and 
should be kept oiled. This is especially true when a tool 
like a plow is put away and left for some time without 
use. Unless it is thoroughly oiled it will be sure to rust. 
All steel tools are better for a coat of oil, but this is es- 
sential to a a very bright tool with a cutting edge. 

All edge tools should be kept sharp. Stopping work 
to sharpen a dull tool is nearly always economy. Almost 
the first thing a boy should learn in the handling of edge 
tools is how to keep them sharp and in good condition 
for work. 

KEEPING UP THE PLACE 

1. Clean up old machinery, boards, and the like, in 
the yard. 

2. Pile all the lumber that is worth saving in one 
place. 

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3- Pile all the lumber and rubbish that is good for 
firewood only in one place. 

4. Cut out the dead limbs in the trees in the yard, but 
do not prune the trees too severely. 

5. Fix up the leaky eave troughs. 

6. Fix all the door latches in the house so that they 
will work easily. If the doors stick so that they will not 
open, fix them. 

7. Fix up the door steps. 

8. Arrange the garden so that all work can be done 
with horses. 

9. Plant a few flowers or shrubs from the woods in the 
yard. Put them in groups, but not in the center of the 
lawn, which should be kept clear so that it will be easy to 
niov,' and will look better. 



IS 



II 



WORK IN THE BARN 
OR GARAGE 

HOW TO RUN AN AUTOMOBILE 

The following is taken, by permission, from S. A. 
Moffat's *'Boy Scout Tests and How to Pass Them," 
published by the Boy Scouts of America, New York: 

Stopping a motor properly is one of the greatest helps 
to starting. If there is no dash carbureter adjustment 
and no gas primer, the throttle should be opened about 
one-third as the ignition is cut off. This allows a good 
mixture to enter and remain in the cylinders. The same 
course should be followed if there is a primer, except 
that the throttle may well be opened wide as the motor 
dies, to be sure that the cylinders are well filled. Then 
in priming with gas for starting, a good mixture may be 
obtained. If there is a good carbureter air lever on the 
dash, it should be moved toward "gas" as the motor 
stops, to leave a rich mixture in the cylinders; in cold 
v/eather this lever should be moved all the way over, in 
warm weather not so far. 

Hand brake set; gears in neutral; spark full retarded. 
These three three-word phrases will, if followed, prevent 
most motor starting accidents. Of course under normal 
conditions the hand brake is set and the gears put in neu- 
tral when the motor is stopped, but these control levers 
may be tampered with by others, so that it is always well 
to note that all three of these things are right before at- 
tempting to start the motor. 

If a four- or a six-cylinder motor is stopped with a 
combustible charge of gas in the cylinders, it will often 

17 



start by simply throwing the ignition switch to the bat- 
tery side, generally indicated by **B" or '*Bat." The ex- 
ceptions in this may be, first, when the four-cylinder 
motor stops on dead center ; that is, when the cranks are 
straight up and down, so that an explosion in the cylin- 
der operates straight against the main bearings and 
fails to move the crank shaft, which seldom occurs, and 
generally only with a stifif motor; and second, when a 
motor stops so that a spark cannot be obtained when the 
switch is thrown to battery. Most distributors are now 
made so that a spark is obtained in any position of the 
motor; therefore the latter exception seldom applies. 

If the motor does not thus start "on the spark,'* 
"cranking" must be resorted to. Presuming for the 
moment that the motor is not equipped with an electric, 
air or other cranking device, the operator should, before 
cranking, see that the hand brake is set, the gears in 
neutral, and the spark fully retarded. Then he should 
move the ignition switch to battery, open the throttle 
about one-third, and move the dash carbureter adjust- 
ment well over to "gas" — all the way over in cold 
weather. If not familiar with the particular motor, it is 
advisable to ''turn the motor over" once or twice with the 
switch in neutral position to draw a charge into the cyl- 
inders, and then start, "on the spark." This eUminates 
all danger from "back kick," and when the motor starts 
the operator is at the switch, so that he can immediately 
throw it to the magneto side (marked "M" or "Mag") 
and close the throttle to prevent the motor racing. The 
carbureter air valve may then be adjusted until the mo- 
tor idles properly, and is ready for its work. 

Many cars are now equipped with gas priming de- 
vices, by which acetylene gas is forced into cylinders, 
where it mixes with the air therein and forms a combust- 
ible mixture for starting on the spark. The correct pro- 
portions of air and gas are not always obtainable by this 

i8 



means, so that a start does not always result. How- 
ever, the gas is of great assistance to starting in cold 
weather, when it is almost impossible to get the poor 
grade of gasoline which is now being used, to vaporize 
sufficiently to explode in the cold cylinders. 

With an electric, air or other cranking devices on the 
car, the starting operations are the same, except that the 
cranking is done by the auxiHary or air motor, which 
is usually set in operation by means of a foot lever or 
button. 

With the demountable rims so generally in use to-day, 
a puncture requires only the jacking up of the axle, the 
loosening of a few bolts, the substitution of another rim 
with a fully inflated tire therein, and putting away the 
tools and crippled tire. Care should be exercised in 
jacking up, to be sure that the jack is placed so that the 
car will not roll off it during the rim changing operation. 
All nuts and bolts should be well tightened, as the se- 
curity of rims and wheels and all running gear parts is of 
the utmost importance. Only the tools required for the 
tire change (and usually these are only the jack, a bit 
stock and pliers) should be removed from the tool box, 
and all should be carefully returned to their places. 

When it is necessary to replace an inner tube, the outer 
casing must be removed from the rim. The operation 
is facilitated by various types of detachable rims, each 
of which has its special tools and directions. 

To remove and replace, "quick detachable" tires re- 
quire no special instruction, but the job does sometimes 
call for both muscle and perseverance. A strong screw- 
driver is the only tool required for taking off the locking 
rim, but a special tire tube, a couple of pairs of pliers, and 
a hammer are necessary in puting the tire back on. Hold 
the locking rim to the rim proper with the pliers as it is 
hammered into place, otherwise it may not spring on 
properly, 

19 



Tires should be pumped up very hard, particularly the 
larger heavy car type, and it is better to have them too 
hard than too soft. 

THE CARE OF A HORSE 

Part of this is taken, by permission, from Emily 
Holt*s "The Complete Housekeeper," published by 
Doubleday, Page & Co., Garden City, New York. 

The care of a horse is very simple. He needs to be 
curried whenever he has been driven or ridden to a 
sweat, brushed afterward, then well rubbed down. 
Standing in stall he should be brushed every day, and 
curried twice a week. At all times he ought to be well 
bedded, with clean dry Htter, either leaves, light straw, 
or fine soft shavings. Coarse damp litter is unwhole- 
some. The bedding ought to be renewed every seven 
or ten days. Throw the old bedding in the compost heap, 
which is a necessary adjunct to even the smallest stable. 
Clean the stall daily. Take up the bedding upon a two- 
tined fork, shake all manure out of it, and throw it in a 
compact heap at the back of the stall. Shovel up the 
droppings, then sweep the floor well with a hickory 
broom, first sprinkling it well with either copperas-water 
or dilute carbolic acid. Monthly scour the manger and 
drinking-trough with hot carbolic soap-suds. A stall 
thus kept will be almost odorless, and wholly sanitary. 

A horse that comes in reeking hot should not stand 
still to cool. Instead, walk him about, gradually slack- 
ening speed. Never feed a horse until thoroughly 
cooled, nor give him more than a rwallow of water when 
he comes thirsty to the trough. Let the swallow be a 
full one ; then pull up his head, and make him wait a min- 
ute or two. Thus he is saved from a host of stomach 
ills. Feed with sound whole grain, either corn or oats. 
Oats and bright hay, or sound corn-fodder, make up an 
ideal ration. Give only what grain will be eaten clean. 



With a hard drive in prospect, give extra feed a day or 
two beforehand, but a sparing meal when on the point of 
setting out. Water after the morning feed, and before 
and after the mid-day one. If the grain is ground, it is 
better either made into mashes, by mixing with hot 
water and a little salt, or sprinkled over well-cut hay 
that has been made fairly damp. 

HOW TO FEED A HORSE ^ 

The foods given to a horse vary according to the lo- 
cality. In the Northern States, Indian corn or oats con- 
stitute the grain part of the meal, while corn-stalks or 
timothy hay constitutes the coarse part of the fodder. 
In the South, Indian corn is the common grain, and dry 
corn-stalks the coarse material. On the Pacific Coast, 
barley is the grain, and wild oats, or the barley and wheat 
plants, the coarse material. Wheat-bran is also a very 
good food, and should never be dispensed with in feed- 
ing the horse, especially the driving horse, which is likely 
not to be regularly driven. There is nothing better to 
feed a horse than good sound oats, Indian corn, and 
wheat-bran for the grain part of the meal ; nor is there 
anything better than good sweet timothy, or mixed tim- 
othy and clover hay, free from dust, for the coarse part 
of the ration. 

The number of pounds to be fed per day cannot be 
stated with exactness. That will depend on the kind of 
food, as well as the size of the horse and the kind of 
work he is called on to do. We may say that a horse of 
the average size doing light work will consume 20 
pounds of dry matter, water free; one doing medium 
work, 24 pounds ; and one heavy work 26 pounds per day 
of dry matter, of which one-half to two-thirds should be 
grain, the remainder coarse fodder. The proportion of 
grain that should be fed depends on the kind or work 
the animal is doing. When the horse is at hard work, 

21 



the grain should be increased and the hay diminished; 
when he is idle, the hay should be increased and. the 
grain diminished. 

The portion of the day's allowance that should be 
fed at each meal can be stated with more exactness than 
the amount. The animal should be fed three times per 
day, having one-quarter of the day's allowance at least 
one hour before going to work in the morning. When 
the morning's task is over, he should be watered, then 
fed another quarter of his allowance, and watered again 
on the way to work. When the day's work is done, he 
should be watered, then fed the remainder of the food, 
which will be one-half of his day's allowance. The rea- 
son for the large meal at night *s that he now has ample 
time to masticate and digest his food. He should be un- 
harnessed at once, and when the sweat has dried, be 
given a thorough brushing. A horse cared for in this 
way will come from the stable full of vim and energy and 
ready to attempt any task he may be called on to do. 

HOW TO HARNESS A HORSE 

Under reflection it is apparent that harnesses are used 
for two purposes: first, to enable the driver to control the 
horse; second, to enable the horse to control the load, 
to move it forward and backward. To control the horse 
the driver must gain command of the head, and this is 
best accomplished by the mouth, since it is well forward 
and tender. That the mouth is tender and easily made 
sore by poorly-fitting bridles must not be forgotten, as 
many gentle horses are rendered unsafe by spoiling the 
mouth with a cruel^ ill-fitting bridle. Hence, much 
care must be taken in properly adjusting the bridle. 

To enable the horse to control the load the driver must 
attach the animal to the load in such a manner as to 
give the horse perfect control over himself. This is best 
accomplished by attaching the shoulders of the horse to 

22 



the load; and to do this collars, hames, and traces have 
been devised. Since the compression between the collar 
and shoulder is great, much attention must be given 
these parts or they will become sore also. To enable 
the horse to back the load, the breaching and hold-back 
have been devised. 

In adjusting the harness we must remember that there 
are four places likely to show abrasion and become sore. 
Poorly-fitting bridles and severe bits cause sore mouths ; 
poorly-fitting collars cause sore shoulders; poorly-fit- 
ting saddles, where there is much backing, cause sore 
backs; and poorly-fitting cruppers cause sore tails. Sores 
thus produced give the horse much pain and are likely 
to become a source of viciousness. A sore mouth often 
provokes a horse to run away ; sore shoulders and sore 
back often provoke balking; and a sore tail often pro- 
vokes kicking. 

Choosing and Fitting the Bridle. — In the choice of the 
bridle the bit is first to be considered. Bits of many 
types have been devised to meet the various and peculiar 
habits of the horse. For most animals a good-sized bit 
cannot be improved upon. Care should be taken to see 
that it is of the proper length to fit the animal's mouth. 
After the bit has been decided upon, note the adjustment 
of the bridle. Sometimes the head-stall is so short as to 
draw the bit upwards into the angles of the mouth; it 
thus annoys the horse and may produce sore mouth. 
Then, again, often the bridle-stall is too large, allowing 
the bit to drop. In such a case the horse becomes un- 
mindful of the driver's wish. After the adjustment of 
the bridle there come the bHnds. There is much dis- 
cussion as to the wisdom of using bHnds on bridles. 
Some horses work best with them; others do better ser- 
vice without them. 

Fitting the Collar. — The fitting of the collar is not only 
of much importance, but also a rather difficult task. The 

23 



collar is very stiff and firm and slow to adjust itself to the 
shoulders. A good way to adjust the collar is to fol- 
lows: Select the most perfect fitting collar available, 
place in three inches of water, and let it remain over 
night. In the morning put the collar on the horse and 
work moderately through the day. After being soaked 
in this way the collar will adjust itself to every inequality 
of the shoulder and the horse will seldom be troubled 
with soreness. 

Fitting the Crupper, — The crupper is a frequent source 
of sore tail, and a horse with a sore tail is often difficult 
to manage. This soreness is often caused by the back- 
strap being too short, thus drawing the crupper up tight 
against the tail, which soon becomes abraded. To avoid 
this, see that the back-strap is of the proper length, in 
which case there will be little likelihood of the tail being 
made sore. 

Always handle your horses gently. Always speak to 
them before you go into the stall. Do not throw the 
harness on them, as they do not enjoy being hurt. Al- 
ways be sure that all buckles are fastened and that the 
ends of the straps are put into the keepers. In hitching 
a horse or a team to a vehicle, the traces should be the 
last things fastened, the lines being taken down first, so 
that the animals are always under control. 

In unhitching, exactly the reverse process is followed, 
the lines being the last part of the harness to be put up. 

In unharnessing a team, the buckles should always be 
loosened on the left-hand side. 

OILINiG AND MENDING HARNESS 
Before a harness is oiled it should be thoroughly 
cleaned of all foreign substance by scraping off accumu- 
lated dirt with a dull knife and then by washing with 
castile soap or regular harness soap. It should then be 
hung up to dry, but not in the sunlight. When it is thor- 

24 



oughly dry, it should be inspected to find where it needs 
mending. Every break and every place that shows any 
sign of giving way should be repaired. When the re- 
pairing is in the line of sewing, this should be done with 
a waxed thread, but when it is impossible, mending may 
be done by using copper rivets, which are readily ob- 
tainable at every general or hardware store. In using 
these rivets, care should be taken to punch in the leather 
as large a hole as may be necessary to receive the rivet, 
and no larger. 

After the mending has been done, the harness should 
be gone over thoroughly with a good harness oil, care 
being taken not to apply more than the leather will read- 
ily absorb. The harness should then be hung to dry in 
the shade, and, after the oil has disappeared, should be 
gone over with a cloth. In hot climates a harness soap 
is better than an oil. 

HOW TO DRIVE A HORSE 

A horse is very much a creature of habit, and he is 
quite likely to do again whatever, good or bad, he has 
been allowed to do once. For that reason, he should 
never be permitted to form any bad habits. 

For example, the first time the horse is tied by the 
head, see to it that he is fastened securely and that the 
halter will hold in case he pulls. ' If the horse pulls and 
fails to free himself in the first few attempts there is little 
likelihood of his trying it later, while if he succeeds in 
freeing himself at first he will never cease trying to re- 
peat what he once accompHshed. On the other hand, it 
is very important not to overload the horse that is being 
trained, with a view of creating in him the notion that he 
can pull anything. Thus to promote the horse's useful- 
ness we exaggerate his appreciation of those powers that 
are useful to man, and deceive him as to certain others 
which are not useful, and perhaps positively dangerous. 

25 



A horse should be trained to stand still while being 
harnessed and hitched, and until the word to start is 
given. If this training is long delayed it will be very 
hard to give. 

A horse should never be trusted more than is neces- 
sary. Many distressing accidents occur from this cause. 
A good horseman never runs risks when they can be 
avoided. 

In harnessing, saddUng, or handling a horse the work 
should always be done from the left side. The harness 
should be gently but firmly placed upon the animal. The 
harness and other equipment should be of good quality 
and in good repair. 

In hitching a horse into a pair of shafts, the shafts 
should always be raised and the animal backed into them 
or the vehicle drawn forward, as the horse is likely to 
step on a shaft and break it if backed in while the shafts 
are on the ground. 

In hitching, the horse should be fastened into the bits 
and the lines placed where they can be easily reached be- 
fore hitching to the vehicle. In unhitching, the lines 
should be the last disengaged and care should be taken 
that the animal is free from the vehicle before he is led 
away. 

A horse should be tied by a strong rope or strap 
about the neck, the strap passed through the ring of the 
bit and then to the post. A horse should always be tied 
short, otherwise he may get his foot over the tie-strap, 
be unable to disengage it, break the tie-strap or check 
rein, become frightened, and an accident result. 

In working a horse few signals should be used. These 
should be used to mean exactly the same thing at all 
times. Signals or commands should be given gently but 
firmly, and should always be carried out. 

Whoa should always mean to stop and nothing else ; it 
should not mean to go slowly or steadily, or even to get 
ready to stop. 

26 



Steady should be used when it is desired to have the 
horse go slowly or steadily. 

Back should always mean to move backwards and it 
should not mean to stop. 

Get up should always mean to move forward in case the 
animal is hitched. 

These four commands are sufficient for the animal at 
work. They should be sp>oken clearly and distinctly 
and never combined, such as zvhoa-back, which is often 
used in the place of whoa. 

It may be added that not all men are fitted to train 
horses ; in fact, not all horse lovers are good horse train- 
ers. There is a particular adaptation possessed by those 
unfamiliar as well as by those familiar with the horse. A 
man possessing this particular adaptation, though un- 
familiar with the horse, will in a very short time, if 
given the opportunity, make a better trainer than the 
man who is familiar with the horse but lacking the spe- 
cial adaptation. 

POULTRY KEEPING 

The Boy Scouts of America has given permission for 
the use of part of this article, from S. A. Moffat's "Boy 
Scout Tests and How to Pass Them." 

In this article, we will begin with the simplest subject 
first and make our work progressive. Those who are 
embarking in the poultry business should begin with a 
pen of layers. These can be purchased in the fall of the 
year. In learning to keep poultry it is best to begin 
with small numbers, as the greater the number of birds 
kept together the gfreater the tendency is for complica- 
tions in the way of diseases and troubles in the manage- 
ment. 

A pen of 6, 12 or 25 is a good unit. A suitable house 
should be built to accommodate whatever number one 
choses to start with. A pen of 6 females should have 
from 7 to 8 square feet of floor space for each bird. A 

27 



pen of 12 from 6 to 7 square feet and one of 25 from 5 to 
6 square feet each. As can be readily seen, the larger 
the house the more square feet of floor space each bird 
has to roam over, therefore, as the size of the flock in- 
creases the number of square feet per layer can be 
slightly decreased. In numbers from 50 to 100 each bird 
should have from 4^ to 5 square feet of floor space. 

A small house 8 x 10 feet, of the shed-roof type, makes 
a good one for 12 females. The floor, whether of wood, 
earth or cement, should have three or four inches 
of good, coarse sand spread over it as a founda- 
tion for litter. There is no better litter than sand, 
although it can be improved by placing a little straw, 
leaves or corn stalks on top. I would not use anything 
as fine as chaff, shavings or saw-dust, as these mix too 
readily with the sand. The litter should be light enough 
to remain on top. Besides making a good litter, the 
sand is a good place for the hens to roll and rid them- 
selves of lice. 

To be a good mother, a bird should be of medium size, 
good constitution and faithful, quiet nature. Above all, 
she should not be fussy, as this type of hen breaks eggs 
and tramples chicks. Test every hen by letting her sit 
on spoiled eggs for a few days. If she is in earnest, you 
can trust her with eleven to fifteen eggs. When the 
eggs are given her, she should be treated to a good dust- 
ing with a reliable insect powder and again in a few days 
before hatching time. The nest should give the hen 
room to change her position, but if too large the eggs 
may become chilled or broken. "Fuss" with your hens 
as little as possible, though the nest should be properly 
cleaned if an egg should chance to get broken. If possi- 
ble have food and water near the nest and perhaps a box 
of dust. 

Method of Feeding. — In a house that accommodates 12 
hens it will be understood that the amounts mentioned 



here will be for that number, and those who have 6 hens 
can feed one-half as much and those with 25 about 
double the amount, etc. 

In feeding layers the object is to get as many eggs 
from them as possible; therefore, a forcing system of 
feeding can be used. A dry mash can be kept in a hop- 
per before the hens at all times. A good mash for this 
purpose is as follows (by weight) : 

I part wheat bran i part wheat middlings 

I part corn meal i part finely-ground oats 

I part beef scrap i part oil meal 

I part gluten feed 
A good scratch feed can be made from 2 parts cracked 
corn and i part wheat; or, if corn is extremely high in 
price, I part cracked corn and i of wheat. If oats are 
cheap, I part of oats (heavy), i of cracked corn and i of 
wheat can be fed mornings. The method in general is as 
follows: Keep one of the dry mashes before the hens 
all the time. In addition, feed a wet mash once a day. 
It is made by moistening a small quantity of the dry 
mash you are using, with either water or milk. Use the 
latter if you have it. Take only enough of the water or 
milk to make the mash crumbly. Don't have it thin or 
sloppy. This can be fed in the morning, at noon or 
night, according to your convenience. Do not give 
them more than they will eat in a few moments. You 
will soon learn just about how much they will clean up in 
12 or 15 minutes. A quart will be about the right 
amount. If you feed many table scraps, cut down the 
amount of wet mash. Feed any one of the grain mix- 
tures night and morning in the litter. It should be fed 
in the winter from 3.30 to 4.00 P.M., in the summer from 
5.00 to 6.00 P.M., and in the morning feed before you go 
to school. At night give all the grain they will eat and 
enough more so they will have something to work on 
early in the morning. About i to ij quarts will be 

29 



plenty. Of course the exact amount will depend upon 
the number of eggs they lay, the amount of wet mash- 
fed^ and the time oi feeding it. In the morning, give 
them enough of the scratch feed to keep them working 
all day. Keep fresh water before the hens, and if they 
show any signs of colds, buy a little potassium perman- 
ganate and put a few crystals in the drinking water, just 
enough to give it a good red color. This is a disinfect- 
ant and will kill the germs that fall into it from the hens' 
noses when they drink. As this is a poison, when given 
in quantities, it should be kept away from small chil- 
dren. In hot weather give fresh water at noon as well 
as mornings. Keep grit and oyster shell constantly be- 
fore them. Give green or succulent feed once a day or 
every second day. Cabbage can be hung up, and beets 
and mangles can be split open and laid on the floor for 
them to pick. In the summer, green materials men- 
tioned above can be fed. 

Gentleness. — There is probably no animal on the farm 
that responds so readily to kind treatment as the hen. 
If she is frightened by catching, or by dogs, or other ani- 
mals, she is apt to stop laying and may injure herself by 
jumping against corners of boxes or other projections. 
It is therefore necessary to be as gentle as possible with 
your hens. Make pets of them. The time spent in pet- 
ing them should not be included with labor. At the 
same time, it will add somewhat to your profits. I like 
to see a girl or boy proud of his flock and anxious to 
show it to his friends, but it is not always advisable to al- 
low your friends to enter the coop, especially if the hens 
are at all wild. Better observe them from a distance 
and not interfere with their laying. Of course^ if the 
hens are tame, it will not make so much difference. 

After one has had practice in feeding and managing 
layers the next step is learning to grow chicks. A few 
chicks 7 or 8 weeks of age can be purchased and grown 



through the season to maturity. A small colony house, 
or coop, can be used for this purpose. It is essential 
that such a coop be well ventilated, kept scrupulously 
clean, and in the fall of the year when the cold rains 
come on they should be well protected and kept out of 
drafts. 

If possible they should be grown on a range where 
they can have plenty of range and shade. This insures 
health and rapid growth. Dry mash and cracked corn 
can be kept in hoppers before the birds when grown in 
this way. If they are grown on limited range or in 
small pens this is not advisable, but the dry mash may be 
kept before them the same as on the range and they can 
be fed their cracked corn and wheat night and morning 
about the way the hens are fed. The soil in the yard 
should be spaded at least once a week, and green feed 
should be given them in abundance every day. 

House Management. — The door of the house should be 
kept closed during cold weather, or a draft will be caused 
by the wind blowing in on to the hens or by its coming 
in at the door and out at the opening in the front. On 
warm days in winter, both the door and screen may be 
opened.. The cloth screen should be kept open except 
during extremely cold nights and very stormy or windy 
days. This will depend somewhat upon the protection 
your house has from the cold winds. If you place venti- 
lators in the rear, keep them closed in winter and open 
in summer. 

HOW TO USE SOME COMMON TOOLS 

SOME HINTS ON SAWING. 

When sawing, the utmost care must be exercised to 
avoid the use of any willful force in driving the saw. 
The action should be even and regular, with an easy, 
steady motion. Any violence or undue exertion will 

31 



either cause the saw to snap, or will buckle it up and 
render it useless for further work. 

When using the tendon saw, mark the wood with a 
sharp knife, instead of with a pencil. This is known as 
making a "striking line," and, as it produces a narrow 
and more exact line than a pencil, a neater cut is en- 
sured. 

As a general rule, it may be remarked that in all sawn 
joints, such as the housing joints, the saw is worked in- 
side the striking line on the one piece of wood, and out- 
side on the other. 

PLANES AND PLANING 
There is a certain knack required in holding a plane 
which has much to do with success in turning out good 
work. When you use your plane do not stand over it, 
but quite well to the back of it, so as to give it your best 
and guided strength, your arm not out too far, either, 
and then when you pull the plane back to take off an- 
other shaving, do not drag it flat over the wood, because 
you know that in doing so will take the edge off the 
iron more than is necessary. Either lift the plane off 
the wood entirely or bring it back tilting it on its lower 
edge. 

To ascertain whether the surface of a small piece of 
wood has been planed evenly, the wood should be held 
level with the eye, the iron of the set-square placed 
across it and passed from end to end. If any light ap- 
pears between the metal and the wood, it proves an un- 
even surface. 

Of course you do not use a hammer to drive screws. 
I am sure that when you do have to use a hammer you 
take hold of it well down on the handle and not up near 
the head in order to deliver a sure and effective blow. 

HOW TO HOUSE THE DOG 

It is no exaggeration to say that the dog stands first 
favorite amongst pets. His companionship, fun, fidel- 

32 



ity and other good qualities make him pre-eminent, and 
there is scarcely a boy who would not like to possess a 
desirable friend. Some practical information on the 
matter will therefore prove useful. 

Whatever kind of dog you intend to have it is most 
necessary to consider how it is to be housed. All the 
talk about dogs being a nuisance is generally owing to 
their being badly accommodated, so make up your mind 
to give your pet a house such as he deserves. A very 
rudimentary knowledge of carpentry will enable you to 
make a good weather-proof kennel, but in many cases, 
a ready-made house can be purchased at little cost. 

If it be decided to keep a toy dog, which will live in- 
doors, all that is required is a simple box, about one foot 
high, and large enough for him to lie down in comfort- 
ably. A few pieces of boarding neatly nailed together 
will make a good receptacle. 

THE KENNEL AND RUN. 
A large dog should live outside the house, and will 
require a kennel made of half-inch boarding with a 
width of i8 in., a depth of 30 in., and a height of 24 in. — 
such a house should prove comfortable for a medium- 
sized dog. Let it rest above the ground on two pieces 
of wood to keep out the damp. Make the roof overlap- 
ping and sloping to carry off rain, and cut a hole about 
one foot wide in the front or side to admit the animal. It 
is well, also, to have a covered run to your dog's house. 
Put together a stout frame, so as to enclose the house 
in a width of at least three or four feet. Fasten to it a 
strong iron wire-netting, covered in with a sloping wood 
roof and containing a door. Before starting to make 
this kennel choose a dry, sheltered spot, and measure 
oflF exactly the space you intend to devote to it, and keep 
to these measurements when cutting material for the 
run. Several coats of paint should be given to preserve 
the woodwork. 

.33 



Ill 
WORK IN THE HOUSE 

The following charming description in story form of 

HOW TO START THE DAY IN THE HOME 

is taken, by permission, from "Saturday Mornings," by 
Caroline French Benton, published by Dana Estes & 
Co., Boston. 

It was hardly more than six o'clock in the morning 
when the little girl woke and jumped out of bed. She 
dressed softly, so that she should not wake any one, and 
took her bed to pieces, and set her closet door open, as 
she had learned in her bedroom lesson. She threw up 
the windows and hung up her night-dress, and then left 
the room, closing the door behind her. 

Her mother met her in the hall, and they went down 
stairs together, tying on their clean gingham aprons as 
they went. The house was all shut up, of course, so 
they opened the front doors, raised the shades in the 
parlors, and opened the windows a little to change the 
air. In the kitchen the fire was burning, shut up as 
they had left it the night before, and they first closed it 
to shake it down, and then opened the drafts and put on 
fresh coal, as Margaret had learned when she studied 
about the range. While the fire was burning up she 
pinned a little shawl about her head and swept off the 
front steps and sidewalk, and came in all glowing from 
the fresh air. 

By this time the fire was hot and bright, and the 
cereal was put on to cook in the double boiler, the ket- 
tle filled with fresh water and put on to boil for coffee. 
Her mother said she would stay out in the kitchen and 

35 



make muffins for breakfast while the other rooms were 
put in order, so Margaret went into the parlors and sit- 
ting-room and straightened the chairs, put away books 
and papers, and dusted here and there, leaving the regu- 
lar dusting until later in the day. The windows were 
now shut, and the rooms looked very tidy, so she went 
to the dining-room to prepare that for breakfast. 

She brushed up the crumbs, aired the room and put it 
in order. She arranged the doilies on the table, one 
under each plate, with a round of felt under that, laid 
the silver, put on her mother's tray with the cups and 
saucers, set the tumblers and napkins around, and the 
plates with the finger-bowls and fruit-knives, and the 
br'ead-and-butter plates with the spreaders. She filled 
the salts freshly, and last of all put on a vase of flowers. 
Then she took the cereal dishes, platter and plates out 
to heat in the oven. 

She found her mother was getting ready the eggs and 
other things for breakfast, and she needed no help, so 
she carried into the dining-room the butter balls and put 
them around; filled the finger-bowls and tumblers with 
cold water and the coffee cups with hot; arranged the 
fruit on the sideboard, and put cream into the pitcher 
on the tray, as well as in another pitcher, for 
the cereal. By the time breakfast was ready she had 
on her white apron and had washed her hands, and 
when the family came down she was ready to show 
them all what a well-trained waitress she was. 

"Do sit down with us," her father begged. ''You 
have done so much already!" But Margaret felt a little 
proud that she knew her waiting lesson so well, and 
said she would rather not. She really enjoyed moving 
very quietly around the table, bringing in and taking 
out things, passing everything to the left, and laying 
down plates at the right, and generally remembering just 
what she had been taught. 



After all had finished she ate her own breakfast, and 
found she had been up so long and worked so much that 
it tasted twice as good as usual. When she had finished 
she put on her gingham apron again and cleared the 
table. She took up the crumbs carefully and used the 
carpet-sweeper all over the rug. She scraped and piled 
the dishes in nice, neat piles, and, drawing the hot 
water, she washed and wiped them all nicely^ and put 
them away. She swept the kitchen, wiped off the table, 
shut up the range and washed out the dish towels exactly 
as her grandmother had taught in the lesson she gave 
on the kitchen. 

RULES FOR THE WORK PRECEDING AND 
FOLLOWING BREAKFAST 

First, make a fire, put water into the kettle to boil, 
wash and dress. 

Second, air the bed, placing the bedclothing across a 
chair; open the windows. 

Third, air the dining room; even if cold, open the 
window a little. 

Fourth, start cooking the breakfast. 

Fifth, set the table. 

Sixth, finish cooking and serve the breakfast. 

Seventh, clear the table, pile dishes for washing, brush 
up under dining-room table, put water to boil for dish- 
washing later, if there is not hot water from the pipes. 

Eighth, make the bed and dust and clean the bedroom. 

Ninth, wash the dishes and put the kitchen in order. 

HOW TO MAKE THE MORNING FIRE IN THE 
RANGE 
First, take out the ashes, seeing that clinkers and 
fine ashes are removed from every part of the stove. 
These prevent a free circulation of air and absorb the 
heat. Lay the fire lightly — first paper, then wood, then 
a very little coal; remember that a packed fire will not 

37 



burn. Before lighting the fire the dust should be brush- 
ed from every part of the stove. When lighting the fire, 
have all draughts open, damper open, and check closed. 
Put very Httle, if any, coal on at first; and more coal 
when the fire is started. When it is going well, close 
the damper. The children, not the teacher, should de- 
cide when the damper should be closed. 

During the day it is always better to rake a fire than to 
shake it. Never have the coal reach the Hds of the 
stove, as this makes the lids crack. Never allow the 
stove to grow red-hot; to cool too hot a fire, open check 
or lift Hds. 

Before blacking the stove, rub off with a damp news- 
paper. The range should be blacked every morning 
before the fire is lighted, but never black over dust. 
Throughout the day clean the stove with newspaper if 
anything spills on it. If it is not thoroughly polished 
after blacking, the saucepans will become dirty. 

Connected with a stove and near it, one must have a 
match box, a box for kindling, and a place for news- 
papers. A common packing box divided into two parts 
will hold both wood and paper. One must also have an 
ash can, a coal scuttle, and a shovel; a stove lifter, a 
shaker, a poker and rake for cleaning soot out from all 
air spaces under the oven as well as over it; a blacking 
dauber and brush, stove blacking, a whisk broom, and 
an old glove to protect the hands. An oven cloth should 
be near at hand for lifting hot dishes. — From Practical 
Housekeeping, by Mabel Hyde Kittredge, published by The 
Century Co., New York. 

HOUSEWORK 

Many of these simple and authoritative suggestions 
for doing housework are those that are being used in the 
Boys* and Girls' Home Economics Clubs of Massa- 
chusetts, for whom they were prepared by Miss Laura 
Comstock and Miss Ethel H. Nash. 



TABLE SETTING 

First lay on the table a silence cloth or some heavy 
cloth to protect the table. Then lay the table cloth, 
having the first center fold of the cloth lengthwise of the 
table. Have no wrinkles and be sure that the sides are 
even. Always try to have a plant, flower or fruit for the 
center of the table. Tray cloths may be placed at the 
head and foot of the table. Then put napkin, glass and 
silver set in place for each person, to constitute the 
"cover." The various parts of the cover are arranged 
as follows: 

Knives — at right of plate, sharp side in. 
Spoons — at right, outside the knife, bowls up. 
Forks — at left, tines up. 
Glass — at tip of knife. 

Bread-and-butter plate, or indvidual butter— at tip of 
fork. ^ ; 

Napkin— at left of fork. " ■•< / 

If there are two or more knives, forks or spoons to be 
used, set them beside the others of their kind, the 
smaller one outside, or if they are the same size, set the 
one to be used first outside. Set them close together 
and perpendicular with and about an inch from the edge 
of the table. 

Cups and saucers should be arranged at the left of the 
hostess. If there are only a few, these may be arranged 
with each cup in its own saucer, with handles at the 
right. With a large number it is necessary to stack the 
cups and saucers. The sugar bowl and creamer may 
be placed in front of the hostess at the right. The coflfee 
pot should be placed at the right of the hostess. 

Salt and pepper shakers should be arranged at oppo- 
site corners of the table, or between every two persons. 
Platters and other dishes should be set where they will 
be convenient but not overcrowded. When set, the 
table should present an orderly appearance. 

39 



TABLE SERVING 

The waitress should see that the table is adequately 
set before asking the guests to come to the table. Water 
glasses should be three-quarters full, butter on the 
bread-and-butter plates, chairs placed so that the 
straight line of the table cloth is not broken. All silver 
needed in serving not placed on the table at the begin- 
ning should be on a side table. 

The waitress should see that glasses are kept filled 
during the entire meal. Butter should be supplied when 
necessary. 

Pass all things to the left of the person seated, and 
hold server low enough so guest will have no difficulty 
in serving himself. 

Place all plates and the like from the right of person 
sitting. Cups should be placed close to plate and handle 
a trifle to the right of the guest. Side dishes should be 
placed where they will crowd the least. 

In the main courses the food should be placed on the 
table first and then the plates brought in. In removing 
a course, remove in the order in which they were placed, 
food first, then soiled plates. Stack dishes but very 
little in removing. Use a tray for this work. 

The person at the right or left of the host, who ordi- 
narily is a lady, should be served first. One may serve 
right around the table when six or more are seated, not 
necessarily serving all ladies first. 

Crumbs should be removed immediately before the 
sweet or dessert course. 

The waitress should be neat in appearance, move 
quickly and quietly, not talk, and be observing so that 
she may see what guests desire without their asking 
for it. 

WASHING DISHES. 

Collect dishes and put each kind by itself. Carefully 
scrape off crumbs and bits of left-overs from plates be- 

40 



fore wetting. Have plenty of hot soapy water. Wash 
glassware firsts then the silver arid china. Greasy dishes 
should be kept until last. Sticky dishes and cooking 
utensils should be soaked in cold water. Cooking uten- 
sils may be washed before the other dishes, provided the 
water is changed afterwards, or they may be washed last. 
Rinse all dishes with boiling hot water, taking care to 
rinse the inside as well as the outside. 

Smoked sauce pans may be cleaned with sapolio 
rubbed on with a moistened cloth. If the contents of a 
dish have been burned on to the inside, this may be 
scoured off with sapolio or one tablespoon of washing 
soda may be added with one quart of cold water. Let 
this come to the boiling point and the burned part will 
come off easily. 

Wooden, bone or ivory handles on knives should never 
be put into water. Clean steel knives with brick dust, 
emery powder or some commercial cleaner. 

Tea and coffee pots should always be washed in clear 
water without soap. 

Milk bottles and cans should be filled with cold water 
immediately upon emptying. Wash in clean soapy 
water and rinse in boiling hot wa,ter. Do not try to 
wipe the inside of bottle, but invert and let drain. 

Moulding boards should be scraped with a dull knife 
and wiped off with a dry cloth. Wash with luke-warm 
water, using no soap, and scald with boiling hot water. 

Wash out the dishpan and dish cloth. Dry dishpan to 
prevent rusting, and hang dish cloth where it will air and 
dry. 

DRYING DISHES AND ARRANGING IN 

CUPBOARD 

After dishes are thoroughly rinsed with boiling hot 

water, dry them with a clean cloth. Rinse dish wiper in 

hot water after each using and wash thoroughly once a 

day. Stack dishes, putting those of same pattern and 

41 



size together. Dishes should be arranged in an or- 
derly manner in the cupboard. The glassware should 
be on a shelf by itself and dishes of similar kind and size 
should be grouped together. Cups may be hung on 
small hooks. Fine china and antique pieces should be 
kept separately and should not be crowded. Knives, 
forks and spoons should be kept in a drawer having sep- 
arate compartments, or they may be kept in separate 
boxes. 

Tin dishes and cooking utensils should be kept in a 
closet by themselves and should be systematically ar- 
ranged. 

SWEEPING AND DUSTING 

Sweeping. — Move chairs and other furniture to one 
part of the room or into another room. Raise windows 
unless the breeze is so strong as to blow the dust 
around. Be sure no food is left uncovered in the room. 
Sweep from the edges of the room toward the center. 
Be careful to get corners clean. Sweep with short 
strokes with the direction of the boards, keeping the 
broom close to the floor. Make as little dirt as possible. 
Gather dust in a dust pan and burn. The kitchen 
should be swept at least twice a day. Other rooms may 
not need a thorough cleaning but once a week, A car- 
pet sweeper is a help in the daily care of these rooms. 

Dusting. — Use a soft cotton cloth and wipe dust from 
the woodwork, doors, window ledges, pictures and fur- 
niture. The dust cloth may be slightly dampened with 
kerosene or a good furniture polish. Never use a feather 
duster for dusting. Gather the dust into the cloth, fold- 
ing it as you work. Shake it frequently out of the 
window, being careful that the dust does not blow back 
into the room. When the room has been dusted, wash 
the cloth and hang it to dry. 



43f 



CARE OF ONE'S BEDROOM 
Daily Care. — In the morning, open the windows. 
Throw the bed clothes over the foot of the bed. A 
chair may be placed at the foot of the bed to prevent 
bedding from touching the floor. Let air blow across 
bedding and mattress. Air night clothes. 

Make the bed when the room and bedding have been 
thoroughly aired. First lay on a pad or a folded sheet 
to protect mattress. Put on the sheets, wide hem at the 
top, and wrong side up. The under one should be 
tightly tucked in all around. The upper. one is tucked in 
only at the bottom. Put on blankets, having upper 
edges even, and tuck in tightly at bottom. Fold the 
upper sheet back over the blankets and tuck it and the 
blankets in at the side. Make square corners and have 
no wrinkles in the coverings. Lastly, put on spread and 
pillows. 

Care should be taken in preparing the room for a 
guest at night. Fold the spread back across the foot of 
the bed. Turn back blankets and sheets neatly. Lay 
extra coverings over foot of bed. Bring in hot water 
for bathing purposes and cold water for drinking. 

IVeeklyCare. — Once a week the bed should be changed. 
The clothes should all be removed from the bed, and 
the mattress turned, brushed and aired more thor- 
oughly than usual. In making up the bed, follow direc- 
tions given above, using the top sheet for the under one, 
with the fresh side uppermost. 

The sweeping and dusting of room should be done 
according to directions in previous paragraph. 

WASHING WINDOWS 

Material Used. — To i quart of water use i teaspoonful 
washing soda ; or to I quart of water use 2 teaspoonfuls 
ammonia; or to i quart of water use i teaspoonful 
alcohol; or to i quart of water use i teaspoonful kero- 

43 



sene; or water and soap, make a paste of whiting, with 
alcohol or water; or use one of the many commercial 
cleaners. Old Hntless cloths or chamois or glass 
towels. Pail or basin. Skewer for corners. News- 
papers on which to set pail and cleaning materials. 

Method, — Dust frame and panes. Wash frames first 
if necessary to clean. Wash window first on inside then 
on outside. Wash one pane and dry it, then a second 
one, and so on until the entire window has been cleaned. 

If a paste is used apply to window with soft cloth or 
sponge. Allow it to dry. Take a lintless cloth and 
wipe thoroughly. 

CLEANING FLOOR 

Always sweep a floor before washing or scrubbing it. 
Then look for grease spots and take them out in the 
following manner: Cover grease spots on wood or 
stone with flour, starch or powdered chalk. Take a 
knife and scrape off. Cold water poured upon grease 
as it is spilled will harden it. Use luke-warm water^ 
a long-handled scrubbing brush, a mop and washing 
powder, or soft soap and sand, or sand soap. Scrub 
with the grain of the wood, doing a few square feet at a 
time. Dip the mop in clean water and wash the part 
that has been scrubbed. Use no more water than is 
needed. Wet the mop again, wring it as dry as possible 
and wipe the floor. Proceed in this way until the whole 
floor has been cleaned. 

A floor covered with linoleum or oilcloth does not 
need scrubbing. Mop the floor with luke-warm water 
and milk, allowing one cup of skim milk to one gallon of 
water. Wipe dry. Be sure to keep water fairly clean. 

CLEANING AND FILLING LAMPS 
Collect all lamps that are to be cleaned. Place chim- 
neys and globes on one table, — use another for the 
lamps proper. Fill the lamps not quite full with the oil. 
After burner has been carefully screwed on, turn up 



wick slightly, take an old cloth and wipe off charred 
portion. See that the corners are rounded. If scissors 
are used, be sure to cut the wick straight across. 
Wipe off lamp with paper or old cloth. Wash in warm 
soapy water and wipe with a dry cloth. Chimneys and 
globes should be washed in hot soapy water and wiped 
with a dry lintless cloth. See that lamps are put back 
in places and all utensils are put away properly. 

BUILDING FIRE 

Open all dampers. Qean everything out of the fire 
box. Place crumpled paper over the bottom of the box, 
then lay on kindlings, crossing some pieces. Arrange a 
few sticks of heavier wood on top, being careful that the 
wood reaches to the corners of the fire box and is not all 
in the middle. Light fire from beneath. For a wood 
fire, continue adding wood. For a coal fire, sprinkle a 
little coal over the wood. When the coal is ignited, 
add more, gradually, until fire box is filled to within 
three-fourths inch of top. When the coal burns blue, 
close the pipe damper and adjust oven damper. The 
front damper should be closed or half closed when the 
coal is burning well. 

BLACKING STOVE 

Wipe the stove off with old newspapers. Scrape off 
anything that has been burned on and be sure that the 
oven is clean. Before lighting fire, apply the blacking, 
using very little and brushing it thoroughly over the 
stove. When stove is all blacked, light the fire and 
polish with a brush or coarse cloth. Polish the part of 
the stove first that will become warm soonest. Polish 
other parts until the whole stove shines. A loose glove 
worn during the process will protect the hands. The 
top of a stove may be kept in good condition without 
blacking, by washing frequently with warm soapy water. 

45 



ASSISTING WITH THE WASHING 
Assistance may be given in wringing, bluing, starch- 
ing, hanging up clothes, or removing them from the line. 
Some clothes, such as coarse towels and sheets, may be 
carefully folded when taken from the line and not ironed. 
A small manual called "Approved Methods of Home 
Laundering" may be obtained free of charge from the 
Proctor & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. 

HOW TO IRON 

Houghton, Mifflin Co., Boston, have given permission 
for the use of this extract from Ada Wilson Trow- 
bridge's 'The Home School." 

Cover the ironing-board with an old blanket or some 
other heavy material, and over this tack tightly and se- 
curely a clean ironing-sheet. It is better to use new 
material for the ironing-sheet, and it must be kept clean 
by frequent washing. 

Have several folds of clean paper under the iron rest, 
and keep on hand a piece of beeswax for cleaning the 
iron, and a clean cloth on which to test the heat of the 
irons and on which to wipe them. 

Use a piece of cloth to wash off all spots from the 
clothes, and to moisten them if they dry too fast. 

When ironing large pieces, keep the clothes-basket 
under the ironing-board to protect the clothes from the 
floor, or spread papers under the ironing-board. 

Use heavy irons for heavy materials, and light ones for 
light materials, and iron all articles until thoroughly 
dry. 

As a rule, iron trimming and ruffles first, and the 
straight parts last, and stretch all parts of a garment into 
shape. 

Iron embroidery on the wrong side to bring out the 
pattern, and gently stretch laces into shape. 

Use as hot an iron as is possible without scorching 
the clothes. 

46 



Iron napkins and hand-towels on both sides. 

When ironing tablecloths, make a lengthwise fold 
through the center and iron the cloth on both sides. 
Make a second lengthwise fold and press carefully. Do 
not press the cross-folds, but make them lightly with 
the hand. 

Tablecloths and napkins that are old or made from 
linen that is very light in weight will look much better 
if starched a little. 



HOW TO CLEAN A KITCHEN 

The Century Co., New York, has granted permis- 
sion for the use of this extract from Mabel Hyde Kit- 
tredge's "Practical Homemaking." 

To Clean Kitchen. — First, dust and take from the room 
everything that can be moved. Do the stove cleaning 
next, as this is the dirtiest work. Then sweep the floor ; 
cover a broom with a cloth and wipe the walls ; and last, 
wipe all woodwork with a woolen cloth. Sweep the 
fioor a second time. The unpainted and unvarnished 
woodwork and shelves must now be thoroughly cleaned. 

To Clean Painted Woodwork. — Dust the woodwork 
with a cloth after the walls are dusted. Wash with 
warm water (not hot) and soap. Soda and sapolio re- 
move paint, and should not be used. A brush is also 
necessary to take dust from grooves, and two cloths — 
one for washing and one for drying. Add a few drops 
of sulpho-naphthol or other disinfectant to the cleaning 
water. 

While the shelves and woodwork are drying, wash the 
windows. 

To Wash Windows. — Use a pan of hot water, a duster, 
two cleaning cloths and a dish of Bon Ami. Place them 
on a newspaper near the window. Bon Ami is but one 
of many things used for washing windows. 

47 



First Method. — Dtist the window, and apply a thick 
suds of Bon Ami. Let it dry, and rub off with a dry 
cloth. Rinse the dusting cloth in the water and wipe 
off the woodwork around the panes. Newspaper is 
very good for polishing windows. 

Besides a weekly cleaning, windows should be dusted 
every day. 

A little alcohol added to the water in the winter pre- 
vents its freezing. 

Second Metlwd. — To clean windows, add a few drops of 
kerosene and ammonia to a pan of hot water. Use a 
duster, two cleaning cloths, and a newspaper. 

Dust the window^ wash, dry, and polish. 

Last, wash the floor. This is also new work but simi- 
lar to scrubbing the table. 

For cleaning the floor have a pail of hot water, a floor- 
brush, floor-cloth, and soap. Soda may be used, or 
Gold Dust. 

The condition of the floor must decide which cleaning 
agent to use. A very greasy floor needs soda. 

First, sweep the floor ; then, wash a small space at a 
time and wipe off with a wet cloth ; scrub with soap, fol- 
lowing the grain of the wood ; rinse and dry with a cloth 
wrung out in the scrubbing pail. Change the scrubbing 
water very often. 

Return furniture to the kitchen when the floor is dry. 

HOW TO CLEAN METALS 

Always wash articles carefully before cleaning. After 
cleaning, wash in hot water containing ammonia, and 
dry carefully. The following cleansing agents may be 
used: 

Tin — Sapolio or silver polish ; whiting moistened with 
ammonia, alcohol or water. 

Steel knives — Brick or Sapolio. 

Silver — Silver-polish, or whiting moistened with am- 
monia, alcohol or water. 

48 



Gold — Silver-polish, or whiting moistened with ammo- 
nia, alcohol or water. 

Copper — ^Vinegar and salt, then ammonia. 

Brass — Vinegar and salt, then ammonia. 

Zinc — Whiting moistened with vinegar, or powdered 
pumice. 

Iron — Rub with oil, then scour with ashes or pumice- 
stone. 

Nickel — Silver-polish, or whiting moistened with am- 
monia, alcohol or water. 

HOW TO CLEAN A LIVING ROOM 

"The Home School," by Ada Wilson Trowbridge, 
published by Houghton, Mifflin Co., Boston, furnishes 
this extract, used by permission. 

Szvceping. — When cleaning a room, have the windows 
open to let out the dust and freshen the air. When pos- 
sible, have a vacuum cleaner. Use both sides of the 
broom for sweeping, using the narrow sides to take the 
dust from the cracks, and the broad sides for the floor^ 
and sweep with short strokes, being careful not to scat- 
ter the dust up and about the room. 

Always hang up a broom when not in use, and wash 
brooms occasionally in warm soapsuds or in warm water 
and ammonia. 

Always sweep a floor thoroughly before scrubbing it, 
or before oiling it. Begin at the corners of the room 
and sweep toward the center, collecting the dust in little 
piles instead of carrying it from one end of a room to 
another. 

Do not sweep the dust from one room to another, but 
sweep each room separately. 

Remove small rugs before sweeping, and large ones 
that cannot be removed, fold back to the center of the 
room, to have as much of the floor exposed as possible. 
After sweeping a floor, go over it with a cloth or dust- 

49 



mop moistened with kerosene or with some good floor 
oil. 

Rugs, — Shake the small rugs out of doors. When 
sweeping or beating rugs, put them on the ground ; do 
not hang them over a clothesHne, as the Hne will in 
time cut even the strongest rug. Beat both sides thor- 
oughly, then sweep with a broom. 

Rugs may be cleaned with carpet-soap, and ought 
often to be freshened by wiping with warm water and 
ammonia. Use a tablespoonful of ammonia to a pail 
three-quarters full of water. 

Floors. — Hardwood floors are the best, and may be 
finished in dark or light shades, to suit the taste of the 
household. 

Do not scrub hardwood floors, but clean with a little 
kerosene or floor oil. A wax finish may also be used. 

When it is necessary to clean with water, use half a 
pail of warm water and two tablespoonfuls of kerosene. 

Softwood floors may be painted or stained. A stain 
is the better finish when the floors are not too much 
damaged or discolored. 

Floor varnish may be used over a stain. When pos- 
sible have floors painted or stained, and use rugs that 
may easily be cleaned instead of a carpet fastened to the 
floor. It is cleaner, most healthful, and more attractive 
to furnish with rugs. 

Softwood floors may be cleaned with luke-warm water 
and kerosene, or with a cloth or mop dampened with 
floor oil. 

Clean off all grease-spots from floors with soap. 

Oean all dust-mops, brushes, etc., with ammonia and 
warm water. 

DREAD MAKING 

Suppose you try to plant a yeast garden and make a 
loaf of bread. For one loaf of bread : 
^ pint of water or milk 

so 



^ yeast cake, softened in ^ cup of water, or 
^ cup of liquid starter 
I teaspoon of salt 

If a crumbly crumb is liked, use i teaspoon to i table- 
spoon of lard or drippings or butter. 

If sweet bread is liked, use I teaspoon to i tablespoon 
of sugar. 

At first use enough flour to make a batter (about 2 to 
2i cupfuls). 

After the batter has become very light add enough 
f^our to make a dough. I cannot tell you how much 
flour to use at this time^ for different kinds of flour vary 
so much in the amount of water they take up, but do not 
have the dough either very stiff or very soft. Knowing 
the characteristics of yeast, you will not have any trouble 
in understanding the following directions: 

Have hands, cloths, and utensils scrupulously clean. 
If milk is used, boil it up once, add salt, butter, and 
sugar, and then let it cool until it is about luke-warm. It 
is better to boil the water used, for it may contain some 
living things harmful to the yeast. After the liquid has 
cooled, add the yeast and enough flour to make a batter 
and then heat it well to put in plenty of oxygen. Cover 
with a clean cloth and set in a warm place until light. 
If compressed yeast or "starter" is used, the batter will 
be light in three or four hours. If dry yeast is used, 
it will take at least over night for the yeast to get a good 
start. When the batter is light, add enough flour to 
make a dough, and knead it until it is no longer sticky. 
Then put it back into the same bowl or pan in which the 
sponge was made and let it rise until it is a little more 
than double its original bulk. Shape into a loaf, put 
into a buttered bread pan, and let it rise again until it has 
about doubled its size. It should feel lig^t and very 
elastic. Bake at once in a moderately hot oven for 40 
to 45 minutes. This will not make a very large loaf of 

51 



bread, but I hope you are going to learn to make and to 
like the small loaves of bread, for they are easier to 
bake through and they have a larger amount of good 
crust. 

A good loaf of bread should be evenly porous; should 
have a sweet, nutty flavor; should be thoroughly baked; 
have no odor nor taste of yeast; the crumb should be 
tender and elastic; the crust should be well browned; it 
should be so palatable as to encourage the family to 
make it a prominent feature of the meal. 

SEWING 

PREPARATIONS FOR SEWING 

The hands should be perfectly clean. 

Sit with the lower part of the spine against the back 
of the chair, both feet upon the floor, the right foot a 
little forward. The light should come over the left 
shoulder so that the right hand may not shade the work. 

The articles needed should be placed in a bag or bas- 
ket ready for use. 

An extra needle should always be threaded for use in 
basting. 

Never sew without a thimble. It is used to push the 
needle through the cloth and as a protection to the 
finger. 

To measure the thread sit with the left side next to the 
table. Take the spool in the right hand, bring it to the 
waist line on the left side, take the end of the thread in 
the right hand, and unwind until the right shoulder is 
reached. If the cotton is not too coarse, it should be 
broken; coarse linen or silk should be cut slantwise that 
the end may go easily through the needle. Never bite 
the thread. 

To thread the needle, hold the end broken from the 
spool between the thumb and the first finger of the right 
hand to make a fine point. Take the needle between 

52 



the thumb and first finger of the left hand, rest the 
hands together to steady them and put the thread 
through the eye of the needle. While drawing the 
thread through the cloth it should be held between the 
middle fingers of the right hand. Holding the thread 
in the hand soils and moistens it and it also causes 
jerking motions instead of graceful ones. 

The size of the needle depends upon the material to be 
sewed. Better use too fine than too coarse needles. 

When the work is passed to mother, or when put- 
ting away unfinished work, the needle should be care- 
fully put into the cloth. 

The emery should be used when the needle does not 
go easily through the cloth. 

A knot should be used to begin basting, running and 
gathering, and in stitches where there is to be great 
strain upon the seam. 

HEMMING AND PATCHING 
Material. — Long cloth or fine, bleached muslin. One 
piece 5 inches on woof and 6 inches on warp. Needle 
No. lo. Pink cotton No. 50. 

Hemming. — Pold the raw edge of material over one- 
fourth of an inch and crease down and then fold over 
again as wide as the hem is desired. Baste with uneven 
basting stitch. Hem by taking up about two threads 
of material, then run needle through the fold of hem, 
taking stitches about one-eighth of an inch apart. In 
hemming the needle should slant with edge of fold or 
hem. Sew from right to left. 

Patching. — Cut worn place square and clip corners di- 
agonally one-fourth inch from edge ; crease edges down 
evenly. Place a piece of same material under hole, be- 
ing careful to match warp and woof of the material. 
(Hem on the right side first.) Turn on the wrong side 
and trim oflf the edge of patch to one-half inch in width ; 
turn edges under and hem down. 

53 



This method of patching is for use on muslin or any- 
worn wash materials. 

BASTING STITCHES 

Two basting stitches are here taught. They are each 
worked from right to left. 

Material. — Unbleached sea-island muslin. One piece 
6 inches on warp by 7 on woof. Needle No. 7 or 8, 
pink cotton No 50. 

Begin at corner of material and draw one thread one- 
fourth inch from selvage edge on warp and one thread 
one-half inch from raw edge on woof. Cut carefully 
along space where thread was drawn. Divide this piece 
into three equal strips 6 inches long warp thread by 
2 1/3 on woof. 

The line of sewing that joins two or more pieces of ma- 
terial is a seam. Basting is commenced with a knot 
and finished with two stitches, one taken over the other. 
Every basting knot should be large and placed where 
it can be easily found when removing bastings. 

The Even Basting Stitch. — Place knot on top of seam 
one-fourth inch from edge of goods and take each 
upper and each under stitch about one-fourth of an inch 
long. Finish the line of basting by taking two stitches, 
one over the other on top of seam and do not cut thread 
shorter than one inch. The even basting is used where 
there is likely to be some strain on the basted seam. 

The Uneven Basting Stitch. — Place knot on top of seam 
and take every under stitch one-eighth of an inch long 
and every upper stitch one-fourth of an inch long. The 
uneven basting is used where basting is needed to keep 
the line of sewing straight and to hold the cloth in place 
while sewing. 

To remove bastings the thread should be cut every 
few inches. Be careful never to draw a knot through 
the material. In velvet every alternate stitch should be 

54 



cut and the thread pulled up with the pile. Velvet and 
velveteen should always be basted with silk. 

Never baste on the line of sewing and never sew 
through a basting, 

SEAM STITCHES 

Here three seam stitches and two finishing stitches are 
taught. Running: Two runs and half back, half back 
and back stitch. 

Material. — Indian Head unbleached muslin. One 
piece 6 inches on warp by lo on woof. Needle No. 7 or 
8 and pink cotton No. 50. 

Begin at corner and straighten material by carefully 
cutting between two threads without drawing a thread. 
Always cut oflF selvage edge, as the weave near the edge 
is close and uneven. Divide this piece into 5 equal strips 
2 inches of woof by 6 on warp. 

Running. — ^Two lengthwise edges are carefully pinned 
together and basted with uneven basting stitch one-half 
inch from edge. Running is started one-fourth inch 
from edge by taking two or three stitches over each 
other ; the needle is run or shaken along through both 
pieces, taking up a number of stitches at a time, which 
are of equal length on both sides. Join the thread by 
sewing over the last few stitches, fasten the thread by 
sewing over the last stitch of the seam two or three 
times. Always cut the thread. 

Running is not a strong stitch and should not be used 
for any seams that have to bear strain. It is used for 
tucks and gathering. 

Two Runs and Half Back. — Run two stitches, bring 
the needle out ahead, twice the length of the running 
stitch, put it into the cloth half way back, bringing it out 
ahead the length of the running stitch. The effect on 
the right side should be as regular as running. This 
makes a stronger seam than running and may be used 
in French felled seams and flannel seams. 

55 



The Half-back Stitch. — This is made by taking one 
stitch, going back half way over it, then bringing the 
needle out ahead twice the lengh of the stitch, going 
back half way each time from where the last stitch came 
out. The effect on the right side should be as regular 
as running. This stitch is used in place of back-stitch- 
ing where there is no great strain. 

Back Stitch. — This is made by taking the stitches back 
to the last stitch. This is done by taking one stitch and 
going back over it, bringing the needle out ahead once 
the length of the stitch and then placing the needle 
back into the same stitch, and so on, making the stitches 
follow each other without any spaces between and 
should be even and regular. 

It is the firmest stitch used. 

It should be used in all seams where strain is coming 
and in fine needlework to take the place of machine 
stitching. 

STOCKINET DARN 

Matcrtal. — Unbleached stockinet, 4 inches square. 

Always darn on right side of stocking, as that will 
leave the inside smooth and soft. Hold the stocking 
over the left hand while darning. Do not use a darning 
ball, as it is apt to stretch the stocking and make the 
hole larger and often changes the shape. The length- 
wise threads are put in first, then the crosswise threads 
are put in, by taking one thread over and one thread 
under the needle. The threads must not be drawn tight. 
Weave short stitches into the cloth about three-eights 
of an inch out from the edge of the hole. Weave through 
worn places rather than trim them out. 

PATCHING 

Material. — Striped gingham, one piece 5J by 9 inches. 
Needle No. 12. White cotton No. 150. 

A patch is a piece of cloth sewed onto a garment to 
repair it. It may be put on in various ways, as over- 
handing, hemming, or darning. 

S6 



A bias is a cut through the woof and warp threads. 

A true bias is cut by laying a lengthwise or warp 
thread on a crosswise or woof thread and cutting on the 
fold. It is strong and elastic. 

1. Joining Straight Edges. — Fold under edges of ma- 
terial width of seam. Put folded edges together with 
right sides out ; overhand by taking up only a thread of 
each fold with stitches close together. Sew from left 
to right. 

2. Tlte Hem Patch. — This method may be used when a 
stronger patch than the overhand patch is needed, but 
where it is not desired to show. Catch stitching the 
edge on the wrong side shows less than turning under 
and hemming. 

3. The Overhand Patch. — Baste the patch on the same 
as for the hem patch. Fold patch back on the material 
and overhand the same as in joining. Press seams open 
and overcast. 

When patches are near a seam or band it is better to 
rip out the seam or band, so the patch can be sewed into 
the seam. 

4. In joining biased edges, baste carefully so as not to 
stretch the edges. 

CLOTH DARNING 

Cloth darning in different cuts and darning to patch 
is taught here. 

Material. — All wool cashmere. A piece 6 inches on 
woof and 8 inches on warp. A fine needle and white 
cotton No. 100 for the darning and blind hemming. 

Blind Hemming. — Fold the hem and baste. Split silk 
of the same shade should be used. Insert the needle 
about one-fourth inch into the folded edge of the hem 
and below the fold. Take only a thread of merely a hair of 
the material, drawing the thread through lightly so as not 
to show any mark through to the right side. The stitches 
are straight instead of slanting, as in regular hemming. 

57 



1. Darning a Crosswise Tear. — In darning garments a 
warp thread of the same material or split silk of the sanie 
shade would be used. Never use a knot in darning 
thread. Take small stitches straight with warp thread 
back and forth fully three-fourths of an inch out on 
either side of tear. Where garment is badly worn or 
frayed the weaving should extend out to cover all weak- 
ened parts. 

2. Darning a Bias Tear. — Run darning thread straight 
with warp thread, being careful to keep the distance on 
either side of tear the same. 

3. Darning a Snag or Tear on Both Warp and Woof. — 
Darn the warp or lengthwise tear by running stitches 
straight with woof threads, the woof or crosswise tear 
by runnng sitches straight with warp threads. The last 
darn put in will cross the first darn at the corner. 

4. If the garment is worn thin and badly raveled, a 
piece of cloth may be placed underneath and the material 
darned down to the patch. 

PAINTING AND GLAZING 

Composition of Paints. — ^Paint is composed of two in- 
gredients, the pigment, which gives body and color, and 
the fluid in which this color is dissolved or suspended. 
If the painting is for protective purposes, the fluid is oil ; 
if for decoration only, it may be water. 

The best white pigment is pure white lead, while the 
most common black pigment is lamp black. Pigments 
that will give the different colors and shades of color 
may be used as desired. 

The oil most commonly used by painters is linseed oil, 
the drying qualities of which are improved by boiling, 
when it is commonly known as boiled oil. Its quality 
can be determined by looking through a small bottle 
filled with it. Good, fresh oil should be clear in appear- 
ance and have very little odor; poor oil is not clear and 
has a strong and rancid odor. If paint is too thick, 



good oil should be used to thin it. Driers are frequently 
used in order to cause the paint to dry more readily ; in 
fact, some colors will not dry at all without their use. 

A vamifih is a solution of a gum or resin in turpentine, 
linseed oil, or some like fluid, and is used to produce a 
hard and shining surface. A cheap varnish suitable for 
ordinary work, can be made as follows : Add 2^ pints 
of turpentine to 3 pounds of dried resin, shake well and 
allow to stand for a day or two, shaking occasionally. 
Add 5 quarts of boiled oil ; shake thoroughly and allow 
to stand in a warm room until clear; then pour oflF the 
clear portion and it is ready for use. 

Before beginning to paint, the surface to be painted 
should be thoroughly cleaned, and all spots and dust re- 
moved. The knots should be covered with shellac, 
which can be easily obtained, and all nail holes, bad 
joints, and cracks should be filled with putty. 

After making choice of color obtain a large sash tool 
or pound brush (these brushes being handiest for jobs 
which have a fairly large plain area) and a lump of 
pumice-stone to clean the oil paint off if it has been pre- 
viously painted. The tradesman, of course, would use 
his blow-lamp and scraper in the case of a door. When 
a good "ground" has been obtained, take a small quan- 
tity of paint on the brush, which should not be dipped 
more than half way in, and even then have most of the 
paint adhering patted oflf on the tin side. Work this 
well into the object, making the strokes up and down or 
from left to right and back again, not in circles or criss- 
cross. Repeat this until all the surface is evenly coated. 
Let this dry, clean up with rough glass paper or pumice, 
used lightly, and repeat. Still another coat of paint can 
be added if thought fit, or it can be varnished. 

New woodwork should receive at least three coats of 
paint. The first coat is called the priming and should 
be thin and readily absorbed into the wood. The stop- 

59 



ping up of the nail holes, etc., should be done after the 
priming is applied. 

The intermediate coats should then be applied as 
evenly as possible, the second coat being laid at right 
angles to the grain of the wood, while the third coat 
should follow the grain, care being taken to leave no 
brush marks. The final coat should give the desired 
tint. 

In repainting old work, it should be carefully cleaned 
with a knife and then gone over with powdered pumice- 
stone and water, rubbing the greasy parts with lime. 

Whitewash is used for common walls and ceilings 
where, for sanitary reasons, a frequent application is bet- 
ter than a coat which would last longer. It is made 
from pure white lime, mixed with water and is improved 
by adding a pound of pure tallow to every bushel of lime. 
Lime for whitewash should be slaked with boiling 
water and, when slaking is complete, the lime can be dis- 
solved in water and applied with a comon whitewash 
brush. Whitewash is improved by adding 2 pounds of 
zinc sulphate and i pound of common salt to every 
half bushel of lime used. 

Whitewash can be tinted to any color desired by the 
use of tints, which are readily procured. 

Take your brush, which should be of a broad, flat de- 
sign, dip and pat off on the side of the bucket any super- 
fluous whitewash, then apply to the wall or ceiling with 
long, straight strokes. Before doing this, however, be 
sure to give the surface a good brushing to remove dust 
and scaly plaster. By taking a small quantity on the 
brush and working it well in, better results may be ob- 
tained than by trying to put on a thick layer with one 
stroke. 

When working on ceilings it is well to make a small 
scaflfold by putting a plank across two pairs of steps. If 
a brush with a long handle is used, don't forgfet the "drip 

r.c 



ring/' or at least a piece of cloth tied around the handle 
about a yard from the head of the brush. 

Small Repairs to Furniture. — Broken chair backs. 
When these are the result of the wood-plugs drying in, 
glue a thin wafer round the socket, and when this is dry 
and set, refix the plugs with glue also. To use nails will, in 
a large majority of cases, only mean more repairs, owing 
to the wood cracking. When the wood is split, a better 
job is made of the repair if the damaged part is cut away 
and the ends thus left finished with Z-ends. Make a piece 
to match that cut away, making the ends fit into parts al- 
ready prepared, then glue. (Treat broken legs in the 
same way.) 

If the joints have got loose, cut fresh corner wedges, 
fi possible without splitting the wood. Remove the 
loose part, scrape off all the old glue, and refit. Give the 
glue time to set before using the article. 

In setting a pane of glass to replace a broken one, 
care should be taken to remove all pieces of the old 
putty, which can be done with a knife or with a hot iron. 
When the glass has been fitted, a thin layer of putty 
should be put on the frame and the pane of glass press- 
ed into place against this. This prevents the glass 
from touching the wood and renders it less likely to be 
broken. The putty should then be applied smoothly 
with a putty knife. Glazier's points should be used to 
hold the glass in place until the putty is applied. 

Putty can be made from whiting and linseed oil, but 
can be more readily bought already prepared. — 

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF A BABY 

HOW TO GIVE HIM A BATH 

The room should be comfortably warmed to about 72 
degrees. It is not wise to have the room so hot that the 
baby perspires, as there is grave danger of his being 
chilled when, the bath over, he is taken into another 

6[ 



room where the temperature is lower or when the room 
itself is rapidly cooled. It is better for the baby to haye 
his bath in a room at ordinary temperature than in a 
bathroom which is heated by oil or gas. The baby 
should be protected from drafts by screens or by a 
shield made by hanging a blanket over the backs of two 
chairs. The full tub baths may be given as soon as the 
scar where the naval cord was attached has fully healed. 
An infant bathtub serves every purpose for the first year 
of a baby's life, or until he has outgrown it. A tiny 
baby may be bathed in a basin or bowl for some weeks. 
This basin should always be warmed before it is filled. 
The water should be at body heat or slightly above; 
that is, from 98 to 100 degrees. A bath thermometer 
is an inexpensive convenience and should be provided, 
but if none can be had the mother may test the tempera- 
ture with her elbow. When the water feels neither hot 
nor cold it will be comfortable for the baby. It should 
be tested after the baby is undressed and ready to get 
into the water. Hot water should never be added to the 
bath while the baby is in the tub. Never leave a young 
baby alone in the tub. Never put the baby in the bath 
while the tub is standing on a stove or heater; he might 
be seriously burned in this way. 

No unnecessary exposure or delay should take place, 
for in cold or cool weather the baby is quickly chilled. 
To prevent this, all the necessities, such as soap and 
towels, clothing, bath apron for the mother, tub, water, 
thermometer, powder, and the like should be placed at 
hand before undressing the baby. In some cases it may 
be much more convenient to give the bath at night, 
just before the baby's bedtime. Never bathe a baby 
within an hour after feeding. A baby should always 
have his own towels and wash rags. Soft cheese- 
cloth makes excellent rags ; the towels should be old and 
soft. 



62 



Before the baby is completely undressed his scalp 
should be washed, the head lowered a little to avoid get- 
ting soap in the eyes. Use a pure, bland, white non- 
transparent soap. Very little soap is needed for clean- 
ing a baby's skin, and it is most important that the skin 
be thoroughly rinsed. After the head and face have 
been washed and dried, remove the clothing and soap 
the entire body; then place the baby in the bath, holding 
him with the left forearm under the neck and shoulders, 
the hand under his arm, lifting the feet and legs with the 
right hand. Use the right hand to sponge the entire 
body, then lift the baby out and wrap him at once in a 
warm towel. Dry carefully with soft warm towels, pat- 
ting the skin gently. Never rub the baby's tender skin 
with anything less smooth than the palm of the hand. 
Dress as rapidly as possible, if the weather is cold, tak- 
ing great pains not to expose him unnecessarily. When 
the weather is very hot in summer, only a slip and diaper 
are needed. 

If the skin is carefully dried after the bath there will 
be Httle need of powder, and it should never be used as 
a cover for careless drying. It is well to use a little 
pure talcum powder in the creases and folds of the skin, 
under the arms, and around the buttocks, but it should 
not be used so generally as to fill the pores of the skin 
and clog them, and should be applied only after the skin 
is dry. 

For one reason or another a baby sometimes objects 
to his bath. In such cases judicious coaxing may be 
employed. Toys which float will often divert the baby's 
attention and make him forget his objections to the 
water. Sometimes lowering him into the water wrap- 
ped in a towel, or covering the top of the tub with a cloth, 
so that he cannot see the water, will accomplish the re- 
sult. If his dislike has been caused by having been put 
at some previous time into a bath w^hich was too hot 

63 



or too cool, let him dabble in the water first with his hands 
and feet until he is reassured. Sometimes the baby 
will cease his objections to the bath if his face is not 
washed until after the tub bath is over. Force or harsh- 
ness is worse than useless in this as well as in other mat- 
ters in the training of the baby. The same result is ac- 
complished if the baby is induced to the desired action 
by pleasant means and his sensitive nervous system is 
not upset. 

Cool Baths. — The temperature of this bath may be 
gradually lowered until it is down to 96 degrees for a 
baby of 6 months and 90 for one of i year of age. To- 
ward the end of the second year a robust baby may be 
given a cool sponge, but he should never be frightened 
or chilled in administering this wholesome treatment. 
He should be gradually accustomed to it by being allow- 
ed to stand in his tub at the end of his daily bath with his 
feet in the warm water, while a sponge of cooler water 
is squeezed over the throat and chest. The water may 
be made colder by degrees until he is taking it quite 
cool and enjoying it. He must be rubbed quickly and 
thoroughly at once until the skin is red and glowing. If 
this reaction does not come or if the child shows any ap- 
pearance of chill or has cold hands and feet two or three 
hours after the bath the treatment must not be repeated. 
Provided the glow always comes, a quick cool sponge 
douche or shower at the end of the bath is one of the 
best tonics that can be found, and induces an excellent 
habit for after life. After a cool bath the child should 
always have vigorous exercise for a few minutes in order 
to promote the necessary reaction. 

Salt. — Use half a teacupful of common or sea salt 
to each gallon of water. The salt should be dissolved 
in a cup of warm water to prevent the sharp particles 
from pricking the skin. The doctor sometimes orders a 
salt bath. 



64 



Starch. — Add a cupful or ordinary cooked laundry 
starch to a gallon of water. 

Soda. — A soda bath requires two tablespoonfuls of 
ordinary baking soda to a gallon of water, dissolving it 
in a little water before adding it to the bath. 

Bran. — Make a cotton bag of cheesecloth or other 
thin material, 6 inches square. Fill loosely with bran. 
Soak the bag in the bath water, squeezing it frequently 
until the water becomes milky. Starch, soda, and bran 
baths are often used in place of the ordinary soap-and- 
water bath when the skin is inflamed, as in chafing or 
prickly heat. 

Sea Balking. — Although a baby under two years 
should not be given a sea bath, a word of caution about 
sea-bathing for young children may not be amiss. The 
cruelty with which well-meaning parents treat young, 
tender children by forcibly dragging them into the surf, 
a practice which may be seen at any seaside resort in the 
summer, can have no justification. The fright and 
shock that a sensitive child is thus subjected to is more 
than sufficient to undo any conceivable good resulting 
from the plunge. On the other hand, a child who is 
allowed to play on the warm sand and become accustom- 
ed to the water slowly and naturally will soon learn to 
take delight in the buffeting of the smaller waves, but he 
should not be permitted to remain more than a minute or 
two in the water, and should be thoroughly dried, dress- 
ed immediately, and not left to run about the beach in 
wet clothing. 

HOW TO LIFT THE BABY 

To lift a young baby, slip the left hand under the back 
beneath the shoulders, spreading the fingers in such a 
way as to support the neck and head, and lift the feet 
and legs with the right hand. Never lift the child with- 
es 



out thus supporting the spine. When a baby has learned 
to hold up his head and has gained considerable strength 
in the muscles of the back and neck, he may be lifted by 
grasping him with outspread fingers under the armpits, 
the body held firmly, so that the entire strain does not 
come on the shoulders. A baby should never be lifted 
by the arms. It is possible to dislocate the shoulder 
joint by careless lifting. 

HIGH CHAIR 
A baby should not be put in a high chair until he is 
quite well able to hold the spine and head erect, and 
should never be left in such a chair for any length of 
time. There is grave danger of producing a deformity 
of the spine if a baby is forced to maintain a rigid sitting 
position for long periods before bones and muscles are 
sufficiently developed. Mothers should be on their guard 
to prevent the possibility of the baby being fastened in 
a high chair and left there to take care of himself during 
her absence, as maids and nurses may resort to this 
neglectful method of caring for the baby at such times. 

TOYS 

Since a baby wants to put everything in his mouth, his 
toys must be those that can safely be used in this way. 
They should be washable and should have no sharp 
points nor corners to hurt the eyes. Painted articles 
and hairy and woolly toys are unsafe, as are also objects 
small enough to be swallowed, and those having loose 
parts, such as bells and the like. 

A child should never have so many toys at one time as 
to distract his interest. He will be quite satisfied with 
a few things for the time being, and a handful of clothes- 
pins, for example, will often please just as much as an 
expensive doll or other toy. It is an excellent plan to 
have a box or basket in which to keep empty spools and 
other household objects which the baby may play with. 



Some of the articles which Johnson names as favora- 
ble to the learning of the ways to use means for ends in 
the exercise of a baby's sense powers are, a celluloid 
ball, rubber animals, boxes, nests of boxes, bottles, 
blocks. Says Mrs. Washburne: 

"The right toys are those that the baby digs out for 
himself, from such of the household utensils and belong- 
ings as can be spared for his use. A bit of chain, some 
old dominoes, a pair of scissors stuck in an empty spool, 
a lot more spools, some cards, an old magazine that he 
can tear, a biscuit-cutter, some little tin dishes, an old 
purse tasting of leather, a small wooden box with a 
cover that slides in and out — such are the things that he 
picks out for himself and that a wise mother will pre- 
serve for him. If she provides a table or bureau drawer 
in which they can be kept, and then lets him pull out the 
drawer and rummage to his heart's content, she will 
find him pretty well satisfied with his toys. 

"Out of doors, nothing is so good as a sand-pile with a 
pail and shovel. The baby who can only sit up when he 
is propped will love to sit in the warm sand, in a little 
nest, and fill and empty his pail, and ply his little spade 
with wabbly fingers, daily growing stronger with exer- 



HOW TO PLAY WITH A BABY 

As Kirkpatrick tells us: 

"As soon as he can move his hands he should not be 
amused wholly by what others do, but rather by what 
he can do, to objects and with them. Others may do 
things that lead the child to discover new possibihties 
for his amusement. By so doing they interfere with his 
own educative play activity and hinder his finding out 
the real qualities of objects and his own powers in rela- 
tion to them. The power of varied manipulation of ob- 
jects for different purposes is what gives the child an ad- 
fir 



vantage over any animal in the formation of free ideas. 
His mental development is therefore best favored by al- 
lowing him, during this period, plenty of opportunity for 
such manipulation. Suggestions as to ends to be 
gained, are not needed in this stage, as they are at a later 
period. The principle of novelty should be made much 
of at this time. None of the child's playthings should be 
with him all of the time, but those not in use should be 
placed out of his sight for a while, as soon as he loses 
interest in them, then restored to him again when they 
will arouse his interest anew." 

Some of our play may consciously be intended to train 
the child. A sensible article in "The Foundation Li- 
brary" gives the following suggestions: "First, let us 
take the most universal of playthings, the ball, and roll 
it back and forth, finally introducing the signal, 'One, 
two, three, roll!' Stand a tall block or tenpin on the 
floor and roll the ball to knock it down. Place a nickel 
call bell on the floor and roll the ball to make it ring. 

*Tf you have the kindergarten balls you wll be ready 
for some ball plays. First, learn the colors, red, orange, 
yellow, green, blue, violet, one at a time, and match them 
to articles of the same color in the nursery, such as drap- 
eries, wall paper, rugs, mother's dress or sister's hair 
ribbon. Put six in a row and ask the child to shut his 
eyes. You take one ball away, and ask the child to 
open his eyes and tell which ball is gone. Hide all the 
balls and let the child bring them to your lap, name the 
balls over and see if there is one missing, and if so, name 
that. Hide a ball and call out, 'hot,' 'cold,' 'burning,' 
as the child goes toward or away from the ball. 

"Let the child hunt for his lunch cracker in the same 
way* 

"Try to toss the ball in the air, and catch it, using the 
signal, 'One, two, three, toss!' Toss the ball to some 
one else, then throw and bound ball, then make a ring 

68 



I 



with twine on the rug or chalk on the floor and roll the 
ball into it. 

''A pretty game may be played with the waste-paper 
basket placed in the center of the room. If there are a 
number to play, all the better. Each one is given a 
colored ball and told to wait for the signal, 'One, two, 
three, throw!' All throw at once, but stand still to see 
where the balls go. The mother then invites some one 
to go to the basket and see if any balls have gone in, 
and count them as they are taken out one at a time. The 
signal then may be given to pick the balls up and begin 
over again. There will be no confusion if the mother is 
particular in regard to the signals of the game." 

One readily sees how attention, alertness, patience, 
agility, and the exercise of sight, touch and hearing all 
come through these simple plays. It is just as feasible 
to use some of the tools of education in play as anything 
else. Here is a group of suggestions from Mrs. Allen: 

"A child of two likes to learn to count as part of learn- 
ing to talk. Encourage this, but try to make ten the 
stopping place, until he has learned so far thoroughly. 
At about three years old begin to count things. He 
will probably understand already how many three is. 
Count things at the table; count beads, blocks, etc., at 
any time you happen to think of it. Now and then see 
if he can count them. If he can, show your pleasure. 
Supply alphabet blocks, with pictures, as early as two 
years old. Call the letters by name often in playing 
with the child. Play games with them; e. g., turn all the 
pictures down and guess what picture is under each let- 
ter, etc. To a child of three, sing the alphabet." 

A great deal of the play of children of this age is by 
themselves and consists of the exercise of the instinct of 
curiosity by repeated experiment. Some of the things 
which a little child likes to do with things are: turning 
keys in locks, opening and shutting doors, opening and 

6q 



shutting drawers, opening and shutting boxes, pouring 
things out of a bag and putting them back, taking things 
out of a drawer and putting them in again, playing with 
water, playing out in the rain, making soap suds in 
warm water, playing under the hose with a bathing 
suit on. 

Some suggested articles for utiHzing this experi- 
mental faculty in children are these: 

Nest of boxes for opening and shutting and closing 
inside one another; 

Big blocks to pile one on top of another and knock 
down. The child is too young for building yet. 

Special drawer with key where he may keep miscel- 
laneous things to take in and out, such as: pieces of 
cloth and felt, pieces of paper, pictures to cut out, little 
odds and ends, a few boxes of such things as seeds and 
spools and buttons and beads and shells to play with; 

A big bag with a stout draw-string for him to open 
and shut and fill with dried beans and peas, or spools or 
bits of bright-colored cloth; 

Little bags with an assortment of things; 

Stout old pickle-bottles with such things as beans 
within, to shake up and down. 

An old newspaper, some paste made thin and some 
pictures to daub on the back with a big brush. 

Some suggestions as to the directing of the destructive 
tendencies in children, which are really the outgrowth of 
this experimental sense, are: 

Give them some paper to tear up and muss, pieces of 
cloth to cut up, something soft to be picked to pieces, 
spools of string ; give them toys which are intended to 
be taken apart and put together, Hke nests of boxes, big 
Hailman wooden beads, for stringing on shoe laces, a 
peg-board, a box of big blocks, some of the Montessori 
apparatus. 



70 



IV 

WORK IN THE OFFICE. STORE 
OR MANUFACTORY 

This chapter is not intended as a text-book upon all 
the trades and vocations, but simply to give a few prac- 
tical suggestions to those who may be employed, while 
at school, for week-ends or vacations with their fathers 
or with other business men. First, we would like to 
quote part of a statement which was gathered by the 
superintendent of schools in Houston, Texas, from a 
very fair and very successful storekeeper in that city. 
What he says applies to young workmen and book- 
keepers and errand boys nearly as much as to young 
clerks. 

The first thing that I want of a clerk is that he should 
be attentive. Some children seem unable to put their 
minds on what they are doing, and to keep it there. I 
have no use for a clerk who does one thing while he is 
thinking about something else. I want him to put all 
his mind on the thing he is doing. If boys and girls in 
school learn nothing else than merely how to pay atten- 
tion they learn something that is worth money to them. 

Then again, I want boys and girls who are accurate. 
It is not necessary that they be able to do a great many 
things, but what they do, they should do well. They 
should make plain figures. If a boy makes a 2, he should 
make it so that just anybody can tell whether it is a 2, or 
a 5. If he writes the name of a customer, he should 
write it, so there will be no doubt about the way it is 
spelled. It is not necessary that our young folks write 
beautifully, or even that they write particularly rapidly 

71 



when they first come to us ; but it is necessary that they 
should write plainly. 

It is necessary that a boy know how to use a decimal 
point. If he makes a bill and you cannot tell whether it 
is for $3.05 or for $305, it is absolutely useless. When 
he puts down figures to add on a bill, he must put one 
exactly under the other, so that there will be no diffi- 
culty in adding them. 

Another thing that we want in even our youngest em- 
ployes is courtesy. Many children do not reahze how 
much politeness counts for in fife. People in a store 
would always rather buy from a clerk who is good na- 
tured and polite than from one who is cross or rude. If 
the schools will teach the boys to be polite, they will 
teach something that will be of a great deal of practical 
value to them. 

Then, again, we want them to have an idea of pro- 
priety. That is, we want them to know that certain 
things may be perfectly proper for certain places, but 
altogether out of place in others. For instance, our 
boys and grls ought to know, without being told, that it 
is not the right thing to do to chew gum in a store, or in 
any other public place. I have no use for a clerk who 
will chew gum while standing behind the counter, or 
waiting on customers. 

I try to make my young people feel that the customer 
is boss of the store, even more than I am. I tell them 
that it is not worth while for them to jump up and get 
busy just because they see me coming, but the time for 
them to jump is when they see a customer coming. If 
they please the customer, they please me. If they do 
not please the customer, it is impossible for them to 
please me, no matter how busy they may seem to be. 

A few other suggestions may be made concerning 
matters that were not touched upon in the statement 
above. 



72 



1. Dress according to your work. It is a bit hard for 
a young person who wears good clothes in school to put 
on rough garb for rough work. One is apt to fear the 
ridicule of his chums. The chum, however, is not the 
one who pays the wages, and nothing pleases a sensible 
employer more than to find his workers clothed as if 
they expected to do their work. The business man to- 
day fairly dreads the girl who comes to his office garb- 
ed as if for afternoon tea. This word is particularly 
needful in the case of boys and girls who work for their 
own parents, and who think because they are related to 
''the boss" that they should dress in unique apparel. It 
does not tend to harmony in the store or factory. 

2. Punctuality is a minor matter, but yet important. 
There are really two kinds of employees: those who 
sell their time and those who sell their brains. (Of 
course, those who sell their time are supposed to have 
brains to offer, too). The one who sells his time must 
be true to his working hours. The expert who sells his 
brains may do work in an hour that means more for the 
concern than the full day's work of every one else in the 
office. When he gives that hour he really also gives his 
years of schooling, training and experience. But you 
fall into the other class. Your time is the major thing 
you have to offer. So, be prompt, in the mornings and 
after lunch, and don't spend your last hour in the day 
glued to the clock, or the last half hour getting ready to 
go home. 

3. The manner of the young employee is much. It 
should be interested, because, especially if he be a 
school boy, wherever he is employed, he has much to 
learn. It should be alert, because he is on trial and is 
already competing with somebody else who is hunting 
for a job. It should be obHging, because no matter 
what he is paid it is probably more, at the start, than he 
is worth. It should be cheery, because that helps every 
one in the office. 

73 



4. The young workman ought to be loyal to his em- 
ployer and his employment. This means that he will' 
honestly and patiently try to do what he is told, if it is 
something that it is honest and fair for him to do. Of 
course, loyalty is a mutual word, and implies a require- 
ment from the employer as well as from the employee. 
In an ideal world the interests of employer and em- 
ployee will be one. They are already in the best busi- 
ness houses. But to-day the employer has an advan- 
tage over his working people, especially those who are 
inexperienced and unskilled. A few use this advantage 
unfairly. A mutual relation of loyalty requires that an 
employee shall do his work well and that his employer 
shall pay him the full sum of his agreed wages promptly. 
For either to fail in his part of this agreement would be 
disloyalty to the other. Few employers to-day forget 
this fundamental of loyalty, but many young workers 
who complain because of the smallness of their wages 
forget that they have perhaps not given a fair return 
even for their present wages. 

5. No factor in early business experience is more 
vital than perseverance. Piqued by imaginary injustice 
or lack of appreciation many young people throw 
up their positions and thus start the habit of 
drifting rapidly from one place to another. They do not 
realize what their employers have put up with in suf- 
fering their inexperience and clumsiness. Of course the 
sooner one gets away from a place where he is a perfect 
misfit, the better. But the untrained person does not at 
once fit anywhere. Those who go from place to place, 
waiting until they are "suited" are doing themselves the 
great injustice of losing valuable apprenticeship some- 
where, and are in danger of dropping at length into that 
hopeless class, known as "unemployables." This sort 
of dissatisfaction is not Hkely to arise if a student can 
find, for his vacation employment, some work that is 

74 



akin to what he intends to make his future vocation. 
Such work is bound to be interesting and satisfying. 

One of the greatest business enterprises in this coun- 
try is the firm of Marshall Field & Co., Chicago. This 
institution issues a "Rule Book," a copy of which is placed 
in the hands of every employee. Some quotations from 
this book will be suggestive as indicating what a model 
house expects of its young employees. The following 
terse and strong statement printed at the beginning of 
this book is entitled "The Marshall Field & Company 
Idea." 

To do the right thing, at the right time^ in the right 
way ; to do some things better than they were ever done 
before ; to eliminate errors ; to know both sides of the 
question; to be courteous; to be an example; to work 
for love of the work; to anticipate requirements; to de- 
velop resources; to recognize no impediment; to master 
circumstances ; to act from reason rather than rule ; to be 
satisfied with nothing short of perfection. 

We have arranged these quotations under the captions 
to which they belong. 

COURTESY 

The greatest courtesy is required at all times — 
whether customers wish to purchase, order or exchange 
merchandise, inform themselves regarding an article on 
sale or simply to visit. You will bear in mind that 
every person who enters the store is, in a sense, an in- 
vited guest, and should be treated as such. 

See that every customer in every transaction is treat- 
in a manner indicating that that immediate transaction 
is the chief point of interest in your mind at that time. 
We receive visits from many out-of-town people, and 
the impression which is made upon them by a few mo- 
ments' interview with our employees remains forever 
in their minds. We are very desirous that visitors be 

75 



allowed to see that we understand how to do business 
correctly, and this effect can only be had when every 
employee treats every visitor with careful consideration. 

It is a waste of energy to lose one's temper at the tele- 
phone. 

Many employees in this store have become well 
known throughout the city because of their pleasant 
manner, special ability or other qualities. You will 
still further create character for yourself by impressing 
customers with your enjoyment in the work upon all 
occasions. 

MANNER OF DRESS 

Concerning this subject the rules are startlingly ex- 
plicit. 

Women and girls shall be required to wear black 
skirts at all seasons of the year. No exception can be 
made to this rule. From March 15th to October 15th 
each year they may wear shirt waists, in white or black, 
white with black stripes or dots, black with white stripes 
or dots (stripes narrow and dots small), or natural 
color pongee or linen. During extremely warm weather, 
round neck, collarless waists may be worn, the neck to 
be finished with an edge or insertion. Square or V- 
shaped collars must be avoided. Waists of very sheer, 
unbusinesslike material over colors, or with a great 
amount of insertion, and black waists with pipings, 
plaitings or bands of color must not be worn. 

We prefer becoming and businesslike arrangements of 
the hair. Our girls and women will avoid extreme 
styles of hair dressing. 

Men will avoid unusual color combinations of hosiery 
and neckwear and loud flashy apparel. 

DEPORTMENT 

Do not go about the store arm in arm. Whistling, 
singing, or humming in the store must be avoided. 

76 



You will use dignity, respect and care in addressing 
other employees. A careless word or an act of famil- 
iarity on your part may, in the mind of some passing 
customer, cause a reflection to the discredit of yourself 
and of the one associated with you. 

The use of gum, tobacco, candy, fruit, nuts or lunch 
of any kind while on duty is prohibited. 

OBJECTIONABLE WORDS AND EXPRESSIONS 

It is preferable to use the word "We" instead of 'T' 
in cases other than those of a strictly personal nature. 

Always use the word '*Madam," instead of ''Lady," in 
addressing women who visit the store, when not familiar 
with the visitors' names. 



V 

WORK IN THE STUDY 

HOW TO STUDY 

Persons of different temperaments go about their 
work in different ways, but the following brief sugges- 
tions may be helpful to the average individual in regard 
to home study. 

1. Choose the time when you feel the best for work 
and make that your regular work time. Some come 
home feeling the momentum of the school still strong 
and like to sit down at once and get their work out of 
the way. Others like to reserve the evening for the 
work. For most a brief bit of exercise after school is 
better, and then a solid piece of work before supper. 

2. In choosing the study period do not let the week- 
end alter the regularity of your plan. Because there is 
no school on Saturday and Sunday many students do 
not study after school on Friday, thinking that among 
the many hours before Monday morning a convenient 
hour for study will appear. That hour never comes. 
A delayed study hour casts a shadow over each other 
hour until it is disposed of. 

3. Choose a secluded place for study. If there is a 
quiet corner in your home, find it. If not, ask to stay in 
school or go to the public library. Find a place where 
you cannot look out of the window and where you can 
hear the least noise from the street. You should be of 
strong enough mind to resist the temptation that comes 
from idlers who would not only lose their own good but 
spoil your work, but it is just as well to make resistance 
easier by getting where they cannot reach you. 

79 



4. Place yourself in your study where you will not see 
attractive pictures, books or playthings. Put yourself 
as nearly as possible in the conditions that you have in 
school, where there are no distractions. 

5. Set your task clearly before you. See clearly what 
you have to do in justice to yourself and your work. 
Then make it even more definite by setting yourself a 
stent or a time limit, and be faithful to it. Don't shirk 
it by loitering, and don't kill yourself by exceeding it. 

6. Go about your work in the most direct way. Have 
all your books, papers and implements right at hand. 
Take up your work in an orderly manner, the most diffi- 
cult first. Try to remember how the teacher told you to 
go to work ; use all that the work before you can do to 
help you ; make at least one definite conquest during the 
hour. Do this calmly, cheerfully and briskly. 

7. "When you get through pumping let go the han- 
dle." Study while you study, and play while you play. 
If you have done your best during the fair time that each 
subject is worth, then exercise, play and comradeship 
will put you in better condition to meet the next day's 
test than to become jaded over what you do not under- 
stand. 



8c 



VI 

WORK AT CAMP 

The following suggestions are for the boy or girl who 
wants to make the necessary preparations for a family 
camp. It is presupposed that mother or the maid is to 
do the cooking and that the family life will go on about 
as usual, so far as refinement and custom are con- 
cerned, with much simplification. These hints are from 
an article by Dillon Wallace, and are used by permission 
of the Boy Scouts of America. 

Anybody can sleep in a tent that somebody else has 
pitched, or under a shelter someone else has built. One 
may do this without understanding even the A B C of 
campcraft. But camping, as we understand it, means 
far more than that. It includes the ability to select a 
good camp site, to erect a tent or other shelter in quick 
time, to provide against bad weather, and also to guard 
against sickness by taking proper sanitary precautions. 

The ability to do these things can be acquired only by 
practice and experience. 

If two trees cannot be found conveniently located 
against which to build the lean-to, drive two stakes at 
the proper distance apart, lash the cross-pole to them 
near their top, and proceed as described. 

Sometimes stakes cannot be driven firmly into the 
ground. In such cases two tripods will answer admira- 
bly in their stead. To make a tripod, cut three poles of 
the proper length. Near the top, or smaller end of the 
poles, lash them together, then spread the butts, and the 
tripod will stand alone. Two of these tripods will make 
an excellent support for the cross-pole. 

8i 



In case well-leaved branches cannot be found for 
thatching, grass will do nicely. In places where well- 
foliaged saplings are to be found conveniently located 
the lower branches of four or five of them may be cleared 
oflF, and the tops of the saplings drawn together and 
tied. The bunched tops will make an excellent shelter. 
This may be improved and made nearly water-tight by 
leaning poles against the bent saplings, tepee fashion, 
and thatching well over all. 

In making lean-tos or other improvised shelters con- 
siderable ingenuity and resourcefulness are sometimes 
required. Always erect them with the back toward the 
wind. I have spent many a comfortable night in the 
wilderness under shelter of this kind, sometimes when 
snowstorms were raging. Making good, serviceable 
shelters is simply a matter of practice. 

Putting Up a Tent Alone. — Let us suppose it is an A or 
wedge tent — and this is probably the style most boys 
will use. Select two trees a convenient distance apart 
and stretch the ridge rope between them at the proper 
height, drawing it as taut as possible before securing it. 
Now peg down the two rear corners, drawing the bottom 
of the rear of the tent straight and tightly stretching it 
between the two pegs. Be careful to keep it aligned 
at right angles to the ridge rope. 

Next peg down the two front corners, using the same 
precautions as in the rear, and also drawing each side 
taut and straight at the bottom from the rear peg on 
that side and at right angles to it. This done, the re- 
maining pegs may be put in place. Any slack that may 
occur may be taken up by bracing up the ridge pole with 
two crotched poles, one in front and one in the rear. 

Should there be no trees between which to set the 
tent, cut two stiff poles a little longer than the tent is 
hign at the ridge. Peg down the four corners of the 
tent in the position in which they are to remain. Go to 

83 



the rear, and with the ridge pole throw a clove hitch 
around one of the poles an inch or two from the top of 
the pole and as close to the tent as possible. It will be 
well to cut a notch around the pole to prevent the rope 
from slipping down when stretched. 

Now lift the pole to a perpendicular position. This 
will raise the rear of the tent into place. Grasp the rope 
to keep it taut to hold the rope and rear of the tent in an 
upright position, while you go well back, at right angles 
to the rear of the tent, and secure the rope to a rock, 
stump or anything that will hold. It may be necessary 
to drive a stake for this purpose. 

Using the other pole, guy the front of the tent in ex- 
actly the same manner as the rear. When the tent is 
finally pegged down it may be found necessary to tighten 
the guy ropes a little to stiffen the ridge. 

It is presumed that before setting the tent the section 
of ground which the tent is to cover has been leveled 
and cleared off by cutting out brush, removing stones 
and knocking away lumps of earth with the back of 
the axe. 

Ditching It. — Now the tent must be ditched, in order to 
carry off surface water in case of a heavy rain. For 
this purpose a ditch about 4 inches deep should be dug 
along the four sides of the tent (outside of course), with 
a drainage ditch leading off an the lowest side, to carry 
away the water. If the boy is called upon to ditch a 
tent at a time when no shovel or tools are at hand he 
will find that a sharp stick will loosen the earth, and a tin 
plate will remove it. 

Making a Bed of Wild Material. — Spruce boughs, be- 
cause they have a greater curve and more body and 
buoyancy, are better than fir balsam. Break, do not 
cut boughs or limbs with your axe, for this purpose. 
Boughs that are too big to break with the hand are too 
big to make a comfortable bed. I do not mean by thi5= 

83 



that small sprigs are to be used. They are not, for they 
possess no spring and pack flat and hard. But it will be 
found that with a little practice pretty large boughs can 
be broken easily with the hand. Grasp the bough 
around the stem and bend it upward and backward, and 
it will snap off at once, even though the stem is nearly 
as thick as your thumb, if it is a coniferous tree. If no 
boughs are obtainable, grass or dried leaves will serve 
very well for a bed. 

Fire Without Matches. — The back of your knife struck 
sharply upon flint or quartz will throw a spark. Either 
dried puff balls or fungus-decayed wood will make good 
material to catch the spark. This is the trick — to catch 
the spark — but a little experience will teach you how to 
do it. 

Plenty of wood, good water and good drainage are the 
things to be looked for in selecting a camping place. 

Careful About Fires. — In this connection it may not be 
amiss to enter a caution about fires. Choose a naked 
piece of earth, if possible, upon which to make the fire. 
Never make a fire upon dry leaves or dry grass. Clear 
away any surrounding inflammable material to avoid 
danger of the fire spreading. Put out the very last 
spark before leaving it, even for a short time. 

In case of rain, or in any case in fact, all articles that 
may be injured by wetting should be stowed in the tent. 
Usually if placed around the sides they will occupy little 
room and will not clutter the tent inconveniently. In 
case there is no tent a lean-to shelter, well thatched, will 
be found a good protection. In this case the things 
should be neatly piled upon poles or branches to raise 
them from the ground. The lean-to should have its 
ends protected and stand with its back to the storm. 

Building the Latrine. — For the latrine choose a spot 
far enough away to preclude odors reaching camp, and 
in a position whereby no possible drainage from it may 
contaminate the water supply. 

84 



Dig a pit about two and one-half feet wide and four 
or five feet long. At each end and slightly forward of 
the pit firmly set a post extending eighteen inches above 
the ground; sixteen inches directly behind each of these 
posts set another post, which should extend two and 
one-half inches above the ground. From the front post 
to the rear post at either end of the pit nail a stiflf cross- 
piece. These are to serve as support for a seat board, 
which should be about six inches wide and nailed to the 
crosspieces, flush with the front of the latrine. Another 
board nailed to the rear posts will serve as a back, and 
the front may be closed with boards. 

If obtainable, a quantity of air-slaked lime should be 
kept near the latrine, and at least once a day some of it 
should be sprinkled generously in the pit. In the ab- 
sence of lime loose earth should be thrown in. 

Camp garbage should be burned or buried. If burn- 
ing is resorted to, a permanent fireplace of stones, built 
for the purpose, will be found a convenience. No bones 
or other refuse should be thrown upon the camp ground 
or in the vicinity of the camp. 

Refuse draws flies, and flies are dangerous to health. 

The essentials to a good camp, as enumerated by Mr. 
E, M. Robinson, International Secretary of the Y. M. 
C. A. for Boys' Work, are as follows: 

1. Good water for drinking, cooking, and washing. 

2. A body of water for fishing, boating, swiming, 
bathing, and going about. 

3. A wooded tract for roaming, hunting, for shade, 
for wood construction. 

4. An open field for games and sun drying. 

5. Sleeping accommodations: tjnts, a log cabin, de- 
serted house, under a boat. 

6. Good drainage for tents, for sanitary purposes. 

7. Good outlook, scenery. 

8. Seclusion which allows a free dress and manner of 
living. 

85 



g. An agreeable personnel. 

10. Discipline, allotment of labor and privilege, free- 
dom. 

11. Good climatic conditions. 

12. Camp-fire. 

13. Abundance of good food. 

14. Suitable clothing to rough it and be comfortable. 

15. Communication with civilization. 

16. Being away from home and home habits. 

17. Abundant activity and great quantities of rest. 

18. New things of interest to claim the attention. 



86 



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